The figure most people half remember is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. That number is a floor. It is set to stop a sedentary adult from losing muscle, not to help anyone build any.

If you train, the range that matters sits higher. Most sports nutrition bodies land between 1.2 and 2.0 grams per kilogram. Where you sit inside that comes down to what you are asking your body to do.

The range, in plain terms

• 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg. You move most days. Surf, walks, a few sessions a week. This is maintenance.
• 1.4 to 1.7 g/kg. You train with intent. Lifting, run club, padel, jiu jitsu. Building or holding muscle while staying active.
• 1.7 to 2.0 g/kg. Heavy training blocks, or eating in a deficit and trying to keep what you have built.

What that looks like on a plate

A 70kg person training four times a week lands around 105 grams a day. Not 105 grams of chicken. 105 grams of protein, which is closer to half a kilo of chicken breast, or a day built from several sources.

Here is a reasonable day:

• Two eggs and toast in the morning, about 14g
• A chicken and rice bowl at lunch, about 35g
• Tempeh and vegetables at dinner, about 25g

That is 74 grams. It is a good day of eating and it is still 30 grams short.

Where a scoop fits

This is the gap powder exists to close. One 35g scoop is 25g of protein, 140 calories and 0.34g of sugar. It takes that 74 gram day to 99, and it takes about forty seconds.

It is not a meal and it does not need to be. It is the part of the day that is hard to eat.

Three things worth knowing

More is not better past a point. Above roughly 2 grams per kilogram, the research stops showing extra benefit for most people. Past that you are just buying expensive protein.

Spread beats stacking. Thirty grams at three or four points across the day does more than a hundred grams at dinner.

Plant protein counts. The old argument was about amino acids. A complete plant protein with all nine essentials settles it. Ours is pea, mungbean and sorghum, and together they carry the full profile.

Start here

Take your weight in kilograms. Multiply by 1.4 if you train a few times a week, 1.7 if you train hard. That is your number.

Then count what you actually ate yesterday. Most people are further off than they expect, and the fix is usually one addition, not a new diet.