Besides creatine, protein is probably the most discussed nutrient in fitness, health, and longevity.
Protein shakes, protein bars, high-protein yoghurt, high-protein bread — protein is everywhere. But the real question is not whether protein is popular. The real question is: how much protein do we actually need?
As always, the answer depends on the goal.
Do you want to cover basic health needs?
Do you want to maintain muscle as you age?
Or do you want to build new muscle with resistance training?
These are not the same situations. And they should not be treated with the same protein recommendation.
What is protein?
Protein is a macronutrient made of amino acids. In total, the human body uses 20 amino acids, of which 9 are essential. That means we must get them through food.
Your body uses protein to build and repair tissue. This includes muscle, skin, bones, enzymes, hormones, and parts of the immune system.
So when we talk about protein, we are not just talking about bodybuilding. We are talking about one of the body’s core building materials.
Adequate protein intake is essential for growth, repair, muscle function, metabolism, and healthy ageing.
The official adult recommendation
For healthy adults, the official reference intake in Europe is around 0.83 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
For a 70 kg person, this equals roughly 58 g of protein per day.
This number is useful. But we need to understand what it represents.
It is mainly a baseline recommendation for the general healthy adult population. It is not necessarily the optimal target for athletes, older adults, or people trying to build or preserve muscle mass.
And this is where the protein debate becomes more interesting.
Why babies give us an interesting perspective
One interesting way to understand protein is to look at babies.
A baby grows extremely fast. The body is building tissue, organs, brain structures, and muscle at a high rate. You could expect that babies need extremely high amounts of protein.
But breast milk contains only about 1% protein. A baby drinking around 800 ml of breast milk per day receives roughly 8 g of protein daily. Depending on body weight, this can still equal around 1.5 g/kg/day.
This shows something important.
Protein is essential, but it is not about consuming unlimited amounts. The body needs the right amount for the specific biological situation.
Growth, ageing, training, and recovery all change the requirement.
Protein for athletes: the science has been consistent for decades
About 30 years ago, sports nutrition researchers were already arguing that athletes need more protein than the general adult reference intake.
In bodybuilding culture, protein recommendations were often extremely high. Some magazines recommended more than 3 g/kg per day.
But when we look at the science, the picture is more realistic — and surprisingly consistent.
Since the early 1990s, many studies and expert groups have pointed toward higher protein intakes for active people, especially those doing resistance training.
For strength athletes, recommendations commonly fall around 1.2 to 1.7 g/kg/day.
For people trying to build muscle, modern evidence often points toward roughly 1.5 to 1.6 g/kg/day, with some bodybuilding recommendations going higher depending on training volume, calorie intake, and body composition goals.
So the message is not that everyone needs extremely high protein.
The message is that people who train hard usually need more than the basic reference intake.
Protein and ageing: muscle is a longevity organ
Protein becomes even more important with age.
As we age, muscle mass and strength naturally decline. This process can reduce mobility, metabolic health, independence, and quality of life.
Muscle is not just cosmetic. It is one of the strongest predictors of healthy ageing.
More muscle usually means more strength. More strength reduces the risk of falls, injuries, and physical decline. Muscle also plays an important role in glucose metabolism and overall metabolic health.
That is why maintaining muscle mass is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of longevity and healthspan.
Older adults often need more protein than younger adults because ageing muscle becomes less responsive to a given protein dose. This is often called anabolic resistance.
In simple words: the older body may need a stronger protein signal to stimulate muscle repair and maintenance.
For healthy older adults, several expert recommendations point toward 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg/day. In some situations, such as illness, recovery, or higher physical activity, even more may be relevant — always depending on the individual health situation.
Maintaining muscle is not the same as building muscle
A key point is often missed.
The amount of protein needed to avoid deficiency is not the same as the amount needed to support muscle maintenance. And muscle maintenance is not the same as muscle building.
For basic health, around 0.8 g/kg/day may be enough for many healthy adults.
For maintaining muscle mass, especially with ageing or an active lifestyle, a better practical range is often around 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg/day.
For building muscle with resistance training, the evidence usually points higher, around 1.5 to 1.6 g/kg/day.
This is why one single protein number for everyone does not make sense.
The right intake depends on age, training, body composition, health status, and personal goals.
Can more protein build more muscle?
Only up to a point.
More protein does not automatically mean more muscle. The body has biological limits. Once protein intake is sufficient to support muscle protein synthesis, adding more will not create unlimited muscle growth.
Training quality, progressive overload, sleep, total calorie intake, recovery, hormones, genetics, and consistency all matter.
Protein is necessary. But protein alone does not build muscle.
It supports the process — if the rest of the system is in place.
Is high protein bad for the kidneys?
For healthy people, protein intakes within the ranges discussed here are generally considered safe.
The common claim that protein automatically damages the kidneys is not accurate for healthy individuals.
However, people with existing kidney disease or reduced kidney function should speak with a medical professional before increasing protein intake. In that case, protein needs may be different.
As always, context matters.
Protein from real food, high-quality protein sources, and a balanced diet is a very different situation than extreme, uncontrolled intake without considering health status.
Practical protein targets
Here is the simple version:
| Goal | Practical protein target |
|---|---|
| Basic adult health | around 0.8–1.0 g/kg/day |
| Healthy ageing and muscle maintenance | around 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day |
| Active adults maintaining muscle | around 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day |
| Muscle building with resistance training | around 1.5–1.6 g/kg/day |
| Strength athletes / bodybuilding | around 1.2–2.2 g/kg/day depending on context |
For many people, a pragmatic everyday target of around 1.2 g/kg/day is a good middle ground.
It is higher than the basic reference intake, but not extreme. It supports muscle maintenance, active ageing, and a performance-focused lifestyle.
For an 80 kg person, this equals around 96 g of protein per day.
That amount can come from different foods, for example approximately:
-
320 g cooked chicken breast
-
350–450 g fish, depending on the type
-
around 400 g quality meat, depending on fat and cut
-
around 15 eggs
-
around 1 kg cooked chickpeas
Of course, most people will combine different sources across the day.
The goal is not to eat one protein source only. The goal is to reach a realistic daily intake with quality food.
The better question
The protein debate becomes much easier when we stop asking:
“Is high protein good or bad?”
The better question is:
“What is your goal, your age, your training level, and what amount fits your situation?”
Babies need more protein per kilogram because they grow fast.
Adults need enough protein to support repair, metabolism, and general health.
Older adults often need more protein to preserve muscle and strength.
People training hard in the gym usually benefit from more protein than the basic minimum.
So protein is not hype.
Protein is a tool.
Used correctly, it supports performance, recovery, body composition, and healthy ageing.
Not as a magic solution. Not as a replacement for training, sleep, or a healthy diet.
But as one of the most important nutritional foundations for a stronger body — today, and as we age.
Sources
EFSA Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for Protein, 2012
Lemon PW, Effect of Exercise on Protein Requirements, 1991
American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand: Nutrition and Athletic Performance, 2009
Bauer et al., Evidence-Based Recommendations for Optimal Dietary Protein Intake in Older People: PROT-AGE Study Group, 2013
Deutz et al., Protein Intake and Exercise for Optimal Muscle Function with Aging: ESPEN Expert Group, 2014
Iraki et al., Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season, 2019
Carbone & Pasiakos, Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit, 2019
Nunes et al., Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Protein Intake to Support Muscle Mass and Function in Healthy Adults, 2022
Kokura et al., Enhanced Protein Intake on Maintaining Muscle Mass, Strength, and Physical Function in Adults with Overweight/Obesity, 2024