Guide · Protein

How Much Protein for Body Recomposition?

Most people doing body recomposition (body recomp) do well on a protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight a day, about 0.7 to 1 g per pound, alongside regular resistance training. This guide shows where that range comes from, how the target changes when you cut or bulk, and how to split it across meals.

Updated October 2026

The short answer

Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of body weight a day, or 0.7 to 1 g per pound. For an 80 kg (176 lb) person, that is about 128 to 176 g a day. Protein alone does not cause recomposition. It supports muscle repair and growth while you train with weights and keep calories near maintenance.

The Recomp AI protein calculator and body recomposition calculator start recomposition at 2.2 g per kg of lean body mass. For an intermediate lifter below about 27 percent body fat, that lands inside the range above. Above that it falls below 1.6 g/kg of body weight, and the gap grows with body fat (about 1.5 g/kg at 30 percent, 1.3 g/kg at 40 percent), because the calculation leaves fat mass out. In the protein calculator, beginner targets are 5 percent lower, so they drop below the range sooner; the body recomposition calculator does not adjust protein for training experience. Treat the number as a starting estimate to adjust, not a fixed rule.

Where the 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg range comes from

A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials with 1,863 healthy adults (Morton et al.) found that protein supplementation added fat-free mass and strength during resistance training. In the 42 study arms with intake data, gains in fat-free mass plateaued at about 1.6 g/kg a day on average. The confidence interval around that point was wide and reached 2.2 g/kg, so the authors suggested about 2.2 g/kg for people who want to maximize gains.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (Jäger et al. 2017) puts the range for most people who exercise at 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg a day. It adds that 2.3 to 3.1 g/kg a day may be needed to keep lean mass in resistance-trained people during a calorie deficit. For lean natural bodybuilders preparing for a contest, Helms et al. (2014) suggest 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean body mass.

Recomposition sits between these cases: calories near maintenance or a small deficit, with regular training. That is why 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg fits most people, and the higher targets belong to cuts.

Protein per phase: recomposition, cut, bulk and maintenance

The calculator changes the target with the goal. Maintenance and muscle gain start from body weight. Recomposition and cutting scale to lean body mass, so fat mass does not raise the target. That basis is the calculator's choice: research has not settled whether body weight, an adjusted weight or lean mass fits best at higher body fat. The example column is an 80 kg intermediate lifter at 20 percent body fat.

Daily protein by goal in the Recomp AI protein calculator, for an 80 kg intermediate lifter at 20 percent body fat.
Goal	Calculator setting	80 kg, 20% body fat
Maintain	1.6 g per kg of body weight, capped at the recomposition dose	128 g a day
Recomposition	2.2 g per kg of lean mass	141 g a day
Build muscle (small surplus)	1.8 g per kg of body weight, capped at the recomposition dose	141 g a day
Lose fat (deficit)	2.4 g per kg of lean mass	154 g a day

Lose fat (deficit)
Recomposition
Build muscle (small surplus)
Maintain

Daily protein from the Recomp AI protein calculator for an 80 kg intermediate lifter, by body fat. Recomposition and cutting scale to lean mass, so they fall as body fat rises. Maintenance and muscle gain start from body weight and are capped at the recomposition target, so they join it above about 18 percent (muscle gain) and 27 percent (maintenance). Cutting stays highest at every body fat. The lines come from the calculator's own formula, not from a study.

Protein needs are likely higher in a calorie deficit (Jäger 2017; Helms 2014), so at every body fat the calculator never sets a target below the one before it in this order: maintenance, muscle gain, recomposition, cutting. Cutting uses 2.4 g per kg of lean mass. The body-weight figures come from studies of healthy adults who were not dieting (Morton 2018). Applied at higher body fat, those figures would count fat mass as lean tissue, so the calculator caps maintenance and muscle gain at the recomposition dose of 2.2 g per kg of lean mass. The cap starts at about 18 percent body fat for muscle gain, which is why the two match in this example, and at about 27 percent for maintenance. These cut-offs come from the calculator's formula, not from a study of people at those body fat levels, so treat the numbers as starting estimates. For how the phases themselves differ, read body recomposition vs bulking and cutting.

Worked example: 80 kg at 20 percent body fat

Lean body mass is 80 kg × (1 − 0.20) = 64 kg. Recomposition protein is 64 × 2.2 = 141 g a day. That equals 1.76 g per kg of body weight, or 0.8 g per pound at 176 lb. Split across four meals, it is about 35 g per meal.

At 30 percent body fat, the same 80 kg person has 56 kg of lean mass and gets 123 g a day, or 1.54 g/kg of body weight. The body-fat estimate moves the result, so use the best estimate you have. The lean body mass calculator shows the lean mass behind the number.

How to use the protein calculator

1. Enter your weight.Kilograms or pounds. Maintenance and muscle-gain targets start from it.
2. Enter your body fat.Type a known percentage, pick the closest photo, or use tape or caliper measurements. Recomposition and cutting targets use the lean body mass this gives, and it also caps the maintenance and muscle-gain targets. If you underestimate body fat, the target comes out higher than intended.
3. Pick your training experience.Beginners get a target about 5 percent lower and advanced lifters about 15 percent higher. This is the calculator's own adjustment, not a study result.
4. Pick your goal.Lose fat, maintain, recomposition or build muscle. Each goal uses the setting in the table above.
5. Read the daily total and the per-meal split.The result is grams per day and the same total split across four meals.

How to split protein across meals

Total daily protein matters most. How you spread it matters less. The ISSN suggests about 0.25 g per kg of body weight per meal, or 20 to 40 g, spread evenly every 3 to 4 hours (Jäger 2017). For most people, that means three to five protein meals.

In a trial of resistance-trained young men weighing about 80 kg, 20 g of whey gave close to the maximal muscle protein synthesis response over the following 4 hours. 40 g added a little more and increased amino acid oxidation (Witard 2014). This is a short-term measure, so treat 20 to 40 g per meal as a practical default, not a hard limit.

Helms et al. (2014) suggest a meal with 0.4 to 0.5 g/kg of body weight before and after training, and note that meal timing and frequency appear to have little effect on fat loss or lean mass retention.

About 20 g per meal: close to the full response
Above it, the extra response is small and more protein is burned

An illustrative curve based on Witard et al. (2014). In resistance-trained young men, across rested and exercised muscle, 20 g of whey raised muscle protein synthesis by 49 percent and 40 g by 56 percent over 4 hours, and 40 g also increased amino acid oxidation. The ISSN general recommendation is 0.25 g/kg of body weight, or 20 to 40 g, per meal.

Dose-response from Witard et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2014. View study

Common mistakes when setting protein for recomposition

Lowering protein when calories drop. Protein needs are likely higher in a calorie deficit. Keep protein at your target every day, including rest days, instead of cutting it along with calories.
Eating most of it in one meal. In short-term studies, a very large serving adds less per gram than a moderate one. Spread the total across three to five meals of 20 to 40 g.
Underestimating body fat. A body-fat estimate that is too low overstates lean mass, so the recomposition or cut target comes out too high. Check the input with the lean body mass calculator.
Setting protein without a calorie budget. Protein is one part of the day. Pair the target with a TDEE estimate and a macro split, or use the body recomposition calculator to set calories and protein together.

What to do with the number

Eat the target consistently for a few weeks and review your weight trend, measurements and training together. People respond differently. The numbers here are starting estimates, not guaranteed outcomes.

The protein calculator gives the daily total and a per-meal split. The body recomposition calculator sets calories and protein together and projects a 12-week scenario.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein should I eat per day for body recomposition?

Most people do well on 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight a day, about 0.7 to 1 g per pound. The Recomp AI calculators start recomposition at 2.2 g per kg of lean body mass. For an intermediate lifter, that falls inside the range below about 27 percent body fat. Above that it falls below 1.6 g/kg of body weight, and the gap grows with body fat (about 1.5 g/kg at 30 percent, 1.3 g/kg at 40 percent).

How much protein do I need to build muscle and lose fat at the same time?

Building muscle while losing fat is body recomposition, so the same range applies: 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight a day, about 0.7 to 1 g per pound, with resistance training and calories near maintenance or a small deficit. In a larger calorie deficit, the ISSN notes that 2.3 to 3.1 g/kg a day may help resistance-trained people keep lean mass.

Is 1 g of protein per pound enough for recomposition?

One gram per pound is about 2.2 g per kg of body weight, the top of the 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg range. It is enough for most people. Many do well with less, closer to 0.7 g per pound (1.6 g/kg).

Can I eat more than 2.2 g/kg?

For healthy people, yes. In a calorie deficit, the ISSN notes that 2.3 to 3.1 g/kg a day may help resistance-trained people keep lean mass. With resistance training, a large meta-analysis found no further gain in fat-free mass on average above about 1.6 g/kg, and extra protein takes calories away from carbohydrate and fat.

Does timing matter as much as total intake?

No. Total daily protein matters most. Three to five meals of 20 to 40 g is a practical default, and a protein meal before or after training is reasonable. Timing and meal frequency appear to have little effect on fat loss or lean mass retention.