How much protein do you need to build muscle?
Around 1.6 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day is enough to maximize muscle gain for most people who lift. Eating well beyond that doesn't add more.
A large meta-analysis pooling 49 studies found that protein intake supported gains in muscle mass up to roughly 1.6 g/kg/day, after which additional protein produced no further measurable benefit for the average trainee.
Individual needs vary. Older adults and people training in a calorie deficit may sit at the higher end of the range — closer to 2.0 g/kg — because both situations make it harder to hold onto muscle. But the plateau is consistent enough that “more is always better” isn’t supported by the data.
Timing matters less than the total
Spreading intake across three or four meals is a reasonable default, and there’s some evidence that landing 0.4 g/kg per meal is efficient. But hitting your daily total is by far the bigger lever. The “anabolic window” after training is far more forgiving than it’s often made out to be.
The practical version
Take your bodyweight in kilograms, multiply by 1.6, and treat that as a daily target. If you’re dieting or over about 60, aim a little higher. Beyond that, you’re spending effort for no extra return.