You probably know someone who tracks every gram of protein. Others get through the day without ever thinking about it.
Most of us grew up hearing the same round number and never really asked where it came from.
The US Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
That number, roughly 55 grams for a 150-pound adult, was set to prevent deficiency in most healthy people.
Also read: How to get more exercise into your daily routine
It was not designed to preserve muscle as we age.
The 0.8 gram rule
The RDA is built on a method called nitrogen balance.
It estimates the smallest daily protein amount that keeps almost all healthy adults from losing body protein.
A 2017 review in Frontiers in Nutrition called that figure a minimum rather than an optimal intake.
Also read: 7 everyday foods high in soluble fiber that may lower your LDL cholesterol
Newer research using a different method has consistently pointed to higher protein needs, especially in older adults.
The same review estimated that healthy older adults may benefit from around 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram per day.
It also flagged that roughly a quarter of older men, and up to half of older women, do not even hit the 0.8 gram RDA.
Older adults and muscle
A 2022 systematic review in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle pooled 66 randomized trials, with more than 2,600 adults.
Also read: Your brain fog after COVID may have a physical cause
It looked at whether extra protein helped people build or hold on to muscle.
The size of the effect depended on age. In adults 65 and older, small gains in lean muscle appeared at intakes of about 1.2 to 1.59 grams per kilogram per day, paired with resistance training.
Younger adults typically needed at least 1.6 grams per kilogram before the same effect showed up.
That is roughly double the standard RDA at the top of the range.
Also read: How long can you stand on one leg? It may predict your lifespan
The takeaway is not that everyone must hit 1.6 grams per kilogram. It is that avoiding deficiency and preserving muscle are two different targets.
Exercisers may need more
For active adults, the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand puts the range at 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram per day.
The group also recommends spreading protein through the day instead of piling it into dinner.
A dose of roughly 20 to 40 grams every three or four hours works for most people.
Also read: Menopause supplements can cost $500 a year: This $25 multivitamin may match them
Older adults may need a bigger single serving to trigger a full muscle-building response.
The body tends to become less responsive to small amounts of protein with age.
What the higher targets look like on your plate
For a 150-pound adult, about 68 kilograms, the daily numbers land roughly in this range.
Target | Grams per kilogram | Daily protein for 150 lb |
|---|---|---|
Standard RDA | 0.8 | about 55 g |
Older adults, general | 1.2 | about 82 g |
Older adults with training | 1.6 | about 109 g |
Active adults, upper range | 2.0 | about 136 g |
Hitting 82 to 109 grams is easier than it sounds.
A cup of Greek yogurt at breakfast gives about 17 grams.
A three-ounce chicken breast at lunch adds about 26 grams.
A cup of cottage cheese as a snack brings another 25 grams.
A three-ounce piece of salmon at dinner adds roughly 22 grams.
That already lands near 90 grams before counting eggs, beans, tofu or nuts.
What this means for your next meal
Research suggests that spreading protein across the day, rather than saving it for one big meal, may help older adults hold on to muscle.
Anyone with kidney disease or another chronic condition should ask a doctor before raising protein intake, because their needs may differ.
For most healthy adults over 50, that means aiming for at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, and pairing it with regular strength training.
This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.