Free Gift On Orders $100+
Free Gift On Orders $100+
XWERKS
XWERKS

Protein Calculator

Free Nutrition Tool

Protein Calculator

Calculate exactly how much protein you need per day based on your weight, goals, and activity level. See your per-meal breakdown and how to hit your target.

Calculate Your Protein
Units
Goal
Lose Fat
High protein to preserve muscle in a deficit
1.0\u20131.2 g/lb
Maintain / Recomp
Balanced protein for body composition and performance
0.8\u20131.0 g/lb
Build Muscle
Support muscle protein synthesis in a surplus
0.9\u20131.1 g/lb
Endurance Athlete
Repair and recovery from high training volume
0.7\u20130.9 g/lb
General Health
Minimal activity, basic daily protein needs
0.5\u20130.7 g/lb
Meals Per Day
How many meals do you eat?
Your Daily Protein Target
175g
700 calories from protein
Fat Loss
1.0g/lb
Per Lb Bodyweight
2.2g/kg
Per Kg Bodyweight
44g
Per Meal
Your Range for This Goal
175g
150g 210g
Per-Meal Breakdown
Hit Your Target With Grow
2
Scoops / Day
50g of Your 175g Target
Two scoops of Grow covers 29% of your daily protein. 100% whey isolate from New Zealand grass-fed cows — no fillers, no blends, no bloat.
25g Protein / Scoop
6g BCAAs / Scoop
0g Lactose
Shop Grow
Your Protein at Every Goal
Goal g/lb Daily Protein
Complete Your Stack
LFT
Lift Creatine Monohydrate
5g daily. Works synergistically with protein for strength and lean mass gains.
IGN
Ignite Pre-Workout
Train harder to create the stimulus that protein repairs. Caffeine, beta-alanine, citrulline.
MOT
Motion
Cluster dextrin + BCAAs intra-workout. Spares protein from being used as fuel.

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

The answer depends on your body weight, your goals, and how hard you train. The outdated RDA recommendation of 0.36 g/lb (0.8 g/kg) was established to prevent deficiency in sedentary adults — not to optimize body composition, performance, or recovery. Modern sports nutrition research consistently shows that active individuals need significantly more protein to support muscle protein synthesis, preserve lean mass during fat loss, and recover from training.

This calculator uses evidence-based protein intake ranges from peer-reviewed research to give you a precise daily target. It factors in your specific goal — whether that's losing fat, building muscle, maintaining body composition, or fueling endurance training — and breaks your target into per-meal portions to make execution simple.

Protein Requirements by Goal

Fat loss (1.0–1.2 g/lb): During a calorie deficit, your body is more likely to break down muscle tissue for energy. Higher protein intake counteracts this by maintaining elevated muscle protein synthesis rates and increasing satiety. Multiple studies show that athletes consuming 1.0+ g/lb during a cut retain significantly more lean mass than those eating less. Grow whey protein isolate makes hitting this higher target practical — 25g of pure protein per scoop with zero lactose and minimal calories.

Muscle building (0.9–1.1 g/lb): In a calorie surplus, protein requirements are slightly lower because your body has abundant energy available and is less likely to catabolize muscle. The 0.9–1.1 g/lb range optimizes muscle protein synthesis without unnecessarily displacing carbohydrates and fats that fuel training performance.

Maintenance / recomp (0.8–1.0 g/lb): When eating at maintenance calories, 0.8–1.0 g/lb supports both recovery and body composition. For body recomposition — simultaneously losing fat and building muscle — aim for the higher end of this range.

Endurance athletes (0.7–0.9 g/lb): Endurance training increases protein oxidation during long sessions but doesn't require the same peak intake as strength-focused goals. 0.7–0.9 g/lb supports repair and adaptation without excess.

Why Protein Distribution Matters

Research on muscle protein synthesis shows that spreading protein intake across 3–5 meals per day — with 25–50g per meal — is more effective than consuming the same total in 1–2 large doses. Each meal triggers a spike in muscle protein synthesis that lasts roughly 3–5 hours. By distributing protein evenly, you maximize the number of these anabolic windows throughout the day. This calculator divides your daily target across your chosen number of meals to make this easy to execute.

Whey Protein Isolate vs. Other Sources

Not all protein is created equal. Whey protein isolate is the gold standard for supplemental protein because it has the highest bioavailability, the fastest absorption rate, and the richest leucine content of any protein source. Leucine is the amino acid that directly triggers muscle protein synthesis. Grow delivers 25g of 100% whey isolate from New Zealand grass-fed cows — cold-processed, no fillers, no artificial sweeteners, and over 6g of BCAAs per serving.

Pair protein intake with Lift creatine monohydrate (5g daily) for synergistic effects on lean mass and strength. Creatine increases your capacity for high-intensity work, creating a stronger training stimulus for protein to repair. Motion intra-workout provides cluster dextrin to spare protein from being oxidized as fuel during training.

Frequently Asked Questions

For muscle building in a calorie surplus, 0.9 to 1.1 grams per pound of body weight is optimal. This range maximizes muscle protein synthesis without displacing the carbohydrates and fats needed to fuel hard training. For a 175 lb person, that's roughly 158 to 193 grams per day.

During fat loss, protein needs increase to 1.0 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight. Higher protein intake during a calorie deficit helps preserve lean muscle mass, supports satiety so you feel less hungry, and has a higher thermic effect than carbs or fat — meaning your body burns more calories digesting it.

For healthy individuals with normal kidney function, high-protein diets up to 1.5 g/lb have shown no adverse effects in research. The concern about protein damaging kidneys applies only to people with pre-existing kidney disease. That said, there's no additional muscle-building benefit beyond 1.2 g/lb for most people — extra protein is simply oxidized for energy.

Total daily protein intake matters most, but distribution plays a role. Spreading protein across 3 to 5 meals with 25 to 50 grams each maximizes muscle protein synthesis throughout the day. Post-workout protein within 2 hours of training is beneficial but not as critical as once believed — the overall daily target is what drives results.

Whey isolate undergoes additional filtration to remove nearly all lactose, fat, and carbohydrates, resulting in a purer protein source (90%+ protein by weight vs. 70–80% for concentrate). Isolate is faster absorbing, easier to digest, and better for people with lactose sensitivity. XWERKS Grow is 100% whey isolate — not a blend of isolate and cheaper concentrate.

Yes. The XWERKS Protein Calculator is completely free with no sign-up required. Calculate your daily protein needs, see your per-meal breakdown, and copy your results.