How Much Protein to Prevent Muscle Loss?

7 MIN READ • BY The BodySpec Team • Jan 13, 2026

Top-down view of various high-protein foods arranged on a wooden surface, including a salmon fillet, a bowl of red lentils, brown eggs, and a bowl of mixed nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts.

How Much Protein to Prevent Muscle Loss? (2026 Guide)

Quick Answer: To prevent muscle loss, current evidence suggests a daily protein intake significantly higher than the standard RDA. Most healthy older adults (50+) should aim for 1.0–1.2 g/kg (up to 1.5 g/kg for those with health conditions), while active individuals in a calorie deficit often require 1.6–2.2 g/kg to preserve lean mass.

Muscle is the currency of longevity. It fuels your metabolism, protects your joints, and keeps you independent as you age. Yet, after age 30, most of us slowly begin to lose it—a process called sarcopenia that accelerates after 60. Even younger fitness enthusiasts risk losing hard-earned gains when cutting calories.

The single most powerful lever you can pull to stop this slide? Protein.

But the standard advice you see on food labels (that 0.8 grams per kilogram rule) is often just a survival minimum, not an optimization target. If your goal is to prevent muscle loss, you likely need significantly more.

Here is the evidence-based guide to protein intake for muscle preservation in 2026, tailored to your age, activity level, and dietary preferences.

The "Survival" vs. "Thriving" Gap

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram (g/kg) of body weight. For a 165 lb (75 kg) person, that’s roughly 60 grams a day.

An illustration comparing two battery icons. The left battery is mostly empty with a small orange bar at the bottom and is labeled 'RDA' below it. The right battery is completely full with a light green bar, light emanating from its top, and is labeled 'Optimal' below it. This visualizes recommended daily allowance (RDA) as a low battery and optimal intake as a fully charged battery.

Here’s the catch: The RDA was established by the National Academies to prevent deficiency (malnutrition), not to support optimal muscle retention or athletic performance.

Recent consensus statements, including those from the PROT-AGE Study Group and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN), suggest that this baseline is insufficient for maintaining muscle mass, especially in older adults or active individuals. To keep what you have, you need to move from "surviving" to "thriving."

Pairing DEXA with Protein

Learn how BodySpec DEXA scans can help if you're using protein to prevent muscle loss.

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Optimal Daily Protein Targets by Goal

How much do you really need? It depends on who you are.

1. The Ageless Active (Age 50+)

Goal: Prevent Sarcopenia & Maintain Independence

A smiling older woman with short gray hair is performing resistance band exercises in her bright living room.

As we age, our bodies develop anabolic resistance. This means our muscles become less responsive to protein signals. You need significantly more protein to trigger the same muscle-building response that a younger person gets from less.

Target: 1.0 – 1.2 g/kg (minimum) up to 1.5 g/kg for those with acute or chronic diseases.
The Math: For a 150 lb person (~68 kg), this is roughly 70–100 grams daily.
Why: The PROT-AGE Study Group recommends intakes in this range to reduce the loss of lean tissue and physical function compared to the 0.8 g/kg standard.

2. The Lean Machine (Fitness Enthusiasts & Calorie Deficit)

Goal: Lose Fat, Keep Muscle

When you eat in a calorie deficit to lose fat, your body often cannibalizes muscle for energy. High protein intake sends a powerful "save the muscle" signal.

Target: 1.6 – 2.2 g/kg.
The Math: For a 180 lb lifting enthusiast (~82 kg), this is 130–180 grams daily.
Why: The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) notes that intakes in this range are safe and necessary to offset muscle protein breakdown during weight loss.

3. The Plant-Powered Pro (Vegan/Vegetarian)

Goal: Complete Nutrition without Animal Products

A close-up of a high-protein plant-based meal bowl featuring perfectly cubed, seasoned tofu, dark black beans, vibrant green pumpkin seeds, and a colorful mix of quinoa, all served in an earthy terracotta bowl.

Plant proteins often have lower bioavailability (absorption rates) and may lack certain essential amino acids compared to animal sources.

Target: 1.2 – 1.5 g/kg (Aim for the higher end if strictly vegan).
The Math: A 140 lb vegan ( ~64 kg) should aim for ~80–95 grams daily.
Strategy: Because plant proteins are less digestible (often due to fiber), bumping your intake by ~10-20% ensures you absorb enough amino acids to support muscle maintenance.

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The "Leucine Threshold": Why Meals Matter

It’s not just about the daily total; it’s about dose.

Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS)—the process of repairing and maintaining muscle—requires a specific trigger. That trigger is Leucine, an essential amino acid.

Younger Adults: Can trigger MPS with ~20g of high-quality protein (providing ~2g leucine).
Older Adults (50+): Due to anabolic resistance, you need a stronger signal—roughly 30–40g of protein (providing ~3g leucine) in a single sitting to switch on muscle repair effectively.

The Strategy: Don’t drip-feed your protein (e.g., 10g at breakfast, 10g at snack, 60g at dinner). Instead, aim for distinct "pulses" of 30g+ distributed across breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

High-Protein Meal Plans for Muscle Retention

How does this actually look on a plate? Here are two ways to hit a solid muscle-preserving target of 120g.

Option A: The Omnivore Muscle Mix

Breakfast: 3 eggs + 1/2 cup egg whites + spinach (35g protein)
Lunch: 6 oz Grilled Chicken Breast salad with quinoa (45g protein)
Snack: Greek Yogurt (1 cup) with berries (20g protein)
Dinner: 5 oz Salmon + roasted asparagus (30g protein)
Total: ~130g Protein

A plate of steaming grilled salmon with prominent grill marks, next to several spears of vibrant green grilled asparagus, resting in a shallow pool of sauce.

Option B: The Plant-Based Preserver

Breakfast: Tofu Scramble (firm tofu) with black beans & nutritional yeast (30g protein)
Lunch: Lentil soup + tempeh strips on side (35g protein)
Snack: Pea protein shake or handful of pumpkin seeds (25g protein)
Dinner: Chickpea pasta with hemp seeds and marinara (30g protein)
Total: ~120g Protein

A close-up shot of a bowl of lentil soup with carrots and celery, next to a plate of three crispy tempeh strips. The meal is presented on a light-colored linen napkin.

Myth Busting: "Is This Safe?"

Q: Will high protein hurt my kidneys?
A: For healthy adults with normal kidney function, research consistently shows that higher protein intakes are safe. However, as the National Kidney Foundation notes, individuals with pre-existing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) must carefully manage protein intake and should consult a doctor.

Two fruit smoothies, one red in a glass and one pink in a shaker cup, sit on a counter next to a strawberry, orange slice, and blueberries. Sunlight casts shadows on the counter.

Q: Can I just drink shakes?
A: Supplements are great, but whole foods provide micronutrients (iron, B12, zinc) that support overall metabolism. Treat shakes as "insurance" to hit your targets, not the foundation.

Measure What Matters

You can eat all the protein in the world, but if you aren't measuring your results, you're guessing. A scale tells you how much you weigh; a DEXA scan tells you what that weight is.

An abstract illustration of a human body highlighting muscle mass in light green, with a faint grid pattern over the entire figure. The outline of the body is in brown.

At BodySpec, our DEXA scans provide the Gold Standard measurement of your lean muscle mass with clinical-grade precision.

Baseline: See exactly how much muscle you have today.
Track: After 3 months of increased protein, scan again. Did your Lean Mass Index (LMI) go up? Did you retain muscle while dropping body fat?

Book Your Scan Near You to turn your nutrition efforts into measurable data.

Key Takeaways

Ignore the RDA: 0.8 g/kg is for survival. Older adults should aim for 1.0–1.2 g/kg (up to 1.5 g/kg), while active/cutting individuals need 1.6–2.2 g/kg.
Respect the Threshold: Older adults need 30g+ per meal to overcome anabolic resistance.
Adjust for Plants: Vegans should increase intake by 10-20% to account for digestibility.
Verify with DEXA: Don't guess. Scan your body composition to ensure your diet is working.

Ready to protect your strength? Read more in our Complete Guide to Sarcopenia or check out The Protein Primer for deep dives on amino acids.