How Much Protein Do You Need? UK Guidance and Sport Research

"How much protein should I eat?" has two answers in UK sources: a reference figure for the general population, and higher ranges that sports bodies give for people who train. This guide sets out both, the research on what extra protein adds, and the claims the law allows on protein foods. It is general information for healthy adults, not medical advice. For choosing a powder, see our buying guide.

The UK reference figure

Public Health England's Government Dietary Recommendations (2016), which take their protein figures from the 1991 report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy, give 55.5 g a day for men and 45.0 g a day for women aged 19 to 64, and 53.3 g and 46.5 g for people aged 65 and over. The BDA expresses the same idea as 0.75 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day for people who do not exercise. At that rate, an adult weighing 70 kg needs about 52.5 g a day.

The European Food Safety Authority set a slightly higher population reference intake for adults in 2012: 0.83 g per kilogram a day, or about 58 g for the same 70 kg adult. EFSA also noted that average adult intakes in Europe are often at or above that level. Food labels use a rounder number: the reference intake for protein in the Food Information Regulation is 50 g a day for an average adult.

These are figures for the general population. Government advice says anyone with a medical condition who wants diet advice should consult their GP or a registered dietitian.

Food usually covers it

The BDA says that, provided energy needs are met, a healthy balanced diet should in most cases provide enough protein to meet any increased requirements. The NHS Eatwell Guide group is "beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein foods", with at least two portions of fish a week, one of them oily, and less red and processed meat. The BDA lists foods that each give about 20 g of protein:

• two medium slices of cooked beef, lamb or pork (75 g), or one small chicken breast (75 g cooked);
• a medium fish fillet (100 g) or a small can of tuna or salmon (100 g);
• three medium eggs, or half a 450 g pot of Greek yoghurt;
• 600 ml of semi-skimmed milk, or half a 300 g pot of low-fat cottage cheese;
• a 400 g can of baked beans, 100 g of unsalted nuts or seeds, or 165 g of Quorn mince.

If you train

The BDA says athletes in strength and endurance sports have a higher requirement, approximately 1.4 to 2.0 g per kilogram a day, and that where muscle gain is the aim, resistance training with enough energy and carbohydrate, plus approximately 1.6 to 1.7 g per kilogram a day, is required. The ISSN's position stand on protein and exercise gives the same 1.4 to 2.0 g range as sufficient for most exercising people. For a 70 kg adult that is about 98 to 140 g a day, or 112 to 119 g at the BDA's muscle-gain figure.

The ISSN suggests 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight, or 20 to 40 g, in each protein feeding, ideally spread evenly across the day every three to four hours. The BDA likewise says to distribute intake evenly through the day.

What extra protein adds

A 2018 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine pooled 49 randomised trials with 1,863 adults doing resistance training for at least six weeks. Protein supplementation was associated with an extra 0.30 kg of fat-free mass on average (95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.52 kg) and an extra 2.49 kg on a one-repetition-maximum strength test (0.64 to 4.33 kg). The effect was smaller with increasing age and larger in people who were already resistance trained.

The authors also looked for a ceiling. Their statistical breakpoint was 1.62 g per kilogram a day (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 2.20), above which extra protein gave no further gain in fat-free mass, though the breakpoint model was not statistically significant. Read this as a modest average effect in trials, not a guarantee for any one person: total food intake and training count too. Several authors of the ISSN position stand declare consulting roles or funding from companies that sell protein supplements, which is why we set it beside the BDA and government figures.

What the law lets a label say

Only claims on the Great Britain nutrition and health claims register may be used on food. For protein it authorises "Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass", "Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass" and "Protein contributes to the maintenance of normal bones". They may be used only for food that is at least a source of protein, which means at least 12% of the food's energy comes from protein; "high protein" needs at least 20%.

These wordings describe protein as a nutrient. They do not say that taking more than you need builds more muscle, and they do not name whey, casein or any brand. The register lists as not authorised claims that protein helps you feel fuller for longer or helps manage weight, and claims for whey protein on recovery, strength, fat loss and muscle growth after exercise.

Using the figures

1. Work out your body weight in kilograms and multiply by the range that fits you: 0.75 g for general health, 1.4 to 2.0 g if you do strength or endurance training.
2. Add up the protein in a normal day from nutrition tables. A scoop of powder in the two example products in our buying guide supplies 22 g and 24 g, about one of the BDA's 20 g servings.
3. If food already reaches your figure, a powder adds convenience, not a requirement. If it falls short, adding a food or a scoop closes the gap.

A small scale helps you check portions of cooked meat or powder: digital kitchen scales on Amazon (opens in a new tab) is a search for them. If you decide a scoop will help, unflavoured whey protein powder on Amazon (opens in a new tab) and unflavoured pea protein powder on Amazon (opens in a new tab) are searches for plain powders.

Safety and who should ask first

The ISSN position stand says published reviews report no indication of liver or kidney harm from higher protein intakes in competitive athletes and active people, while noting that people in kidney failure benefit from protein-restricted diets. That is about healthy adults. A leaflet from Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for people with chronic kidney disease who are not on dialysis says protein powders are often not needed and may be harmful for them, and that too much protein can strain reduced kidney function. A page run by an NHS community trust in Norfolk says protein supplements are not recommended for young people. The FSA advises checking with a GP or healthcare professional before taking any food supplement if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and telling your doctor about supplements if you are prescribed medicines. It also says not to exceed the recommended dose.

Your GP or a registered dietitian is the right person to ask about your own protein needs, and the label is the authority on a product's serving size and warnings.