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How much protein in grams do I need at 124 kg on 1,100 kcal a day?

Asked 31 Oct 2025Modified 5 months agoViewed 14k times
23

Concretely: 124 kg · 1,100 kcal.

I want the working, not the result — I need to be able to redo it with different numbers.

I care about the precision as well as the value — I want to know how many figures are real.

Where is my error, and what is the correct working?

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DV
askedDr_Bram_Verhoeven84k24831 Oct 2025
2Are you training at all? That single fact changes the answer more than anything else. – v_ramaswamy 2 months ago
Worth adding the rate of loss, because most of this tracks it. – kwn_analytical 7 days ago
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4 Answers

Accepted answer first, then by votes
59

Accepted answer

198 to 273 g a day. The range the resistance-training literature supports is 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram, which at 124 kg is 198–273 g. At 4 kcal per gram that is 794–1091 kcal, or 72–99 per cent of a 1,100 intake — which is why protein has to be planned first at this energy level rather than fitted in afterwards. Split it across three or four servings; roughly 0.4 g/kg per meal saturates the synthetic response and the surplus in one large serving does not carry over.

More usefully, the relevant physiology is the per-meal saturation of the synthetic response, which is why one large serving does not substitute for three moderate ones.

Per meal, roughly 0.4 grams per kilogram saturates the synthetic response in most adults, which is about 30 to 40 grams for a typical person. Beyond that the surplus is oxidised or used for other purposes rather than adding to synthesis.

Worth being precise here: the leucine threshold for triggering the response is around two and a half to three grams per meal. Thirty grams of most animal protein reaches it; thirty grams of many plant proteins does not, which is why plant-based targets run higher.

Stable-isotope feeding studies establish the per-meal saturation of muscle protein synthesis at around 0.4 g/kg in young adults and higher in older ones.

Plan protein first in the day; with suppressed appetite it will not happen otherwise.

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AN
answered · acceptedamara_nwachukwu20k276 Nov 2025
2Small correction: lean mass on a scan is not muscle, which this says and people miss. – s_kalniete 6 months ago
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52

The honest answer is that most people in a deficit fall well short, and closing that gap matters more than any refinement above it.

Older adults need more per meal to overcome anabolic resistance, with 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg daily commonly quoted for maintenance and more in a deficit.

A practical construction: 30 to 40 grams at each of three meals plus a 20 to 30 gram snack covers most targets without any protein powder at all.

Meta-analytic estimates place the plateau of the dose-response for lean-mass retention with resistance training around 1.6 g/kg, with a confidence interval extending to about 2.2.

Targets are population estimates; individual requirements vary and there is no cheap way to measure yours.

1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of reference weight, split three or four ways. That is the answer.

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PS
answeredplunger_stop13k2723 Feb 2026
25

Plant-based patterns need somewhat higher totals and more attention to leucine content per serving to produce an equivalent response.

High protein intakes do not damage healthy kidneys in the published evidence; existing kidney disease is a genuine exception and is a clinical question.

Hydration requirements rise modestly with protein intake because urea excretion increases, which is a real effect and a small one.

Research-use compounds are not approved for human use, and no supplement substitutes for total intake.

Plant-based patterns need a higher total and more attention per serving.

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DA
answeredDr_Yusuf_Adeyemi54k1471 Feb 2026
20

Specifically, protein is also the most satiating macronutrient per kilocalorie, which makes hitting the target easier than it sounds once it is prioritised.

Appetite suppression makes protein-rich foods harder to eat because they are satiating. Liquid protein and leaner, less voluminous sources are the usual practical workaround.

Leucine threshold effects are documented across protein sources and explain the difference in per-serving requirements between animal and plant proteins.

Per-meal saturation is real. One enormous serving does not do the job of three.

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LB
answeredliam_bracken6.9k1412 Feb 2026

Your answer

Ask PeptideStack is a static archive. Posting is closed, but the norms are worth stating: answer the question that was asked, show your working, cite the trial or the certificate, and say plainly where the evidence runs out.

Not medical advice. Research-use-only compounds are not approved for human use.