How much protein on a cut?

Written by Norbert Grzenkowicz · 15 October 2026

For lean resistance-trained people in a calorie deficit, the 2014 review by Helms and colleagues gives 2.3-3.1 g of protein per kg of lean body mass a day, higher with a bigger deficit and lower body fat. At 80 kg and 15% body fat that is about 156-211 g. Morton's 2018 meta-analysis, in people not in a deficit, puts the point where muscle gains stop rising at 1.6 g/kg of bodyweight, with an upper confidence limit of 2.2 g/kg.

What the research says, and who it studied

Protein recommendations and the population each covers
Source	Recommendation	Who it covers
Helms et al., 2014, systematic review	2.3-3.1 g/kg of lean body mass a day, scaled up with a bigger deficit and lower body fat	6 studies, adults resistance training for over 6 months, in a deficit, men up to 23% body fat, women up to 35%
Morton et al., 2018, meta-analysis	lean mass gains plateau at 1.62 g/kg of bodyweight a day (95% confidence interval 1.03-2.20)	whole meta-analysis: 49 studies, 1,863 healthy adults; plateau estimated from 42 study arms, 723 people; at or above maintenance calories, not in a deficit
ISSN, Jäger et al., 2017, position stand	1.4-2.0 g/kg of bodyweight a day for most people who exercise; 2.3-3.1 g/kg of bodyweight a day may be needed in a deficit	people who exercise; the higher range for resistance-trained people in a deficit

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Morton and colleagues state that they included only studies with people at or above their energy needs, so their number does not tell you how much protein a deficit calls for. They also note that the breakpoint model was not statistically significant (p = 0.079). On a cut, work from the Helms review, because it is a systematic review of studies in people in a deficit. The ISSN position stand gives the same 2.3-3.1 g/kg range per kg of bodyweight, the Helms review per kg of fat-free (lean) mass. At 80 kg and 15% body fat that is 184-248 g by the ISSN and 156-211 g by Helms; this guide works from lean mass, as the review does.

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A formula you can run yourself

Lean body mass (kg) = bodyweight (kg) × (1 − body fat percentage ÷ 100).
Protein on a cut (g) = lean body mass × 2.3 to 3.1. The review gives a direction, not thresholds: the bigger the deficit and the lower your body fat, the closer to 3.1. It covers men up to 23% body fat.
Do not know your body fat? Use the "Cut" column of the table below: it assumes 15%, about 2.0-2.6 g per kg of bodyweight. With more body fat the result is too high, with less too low. Do not go below 1.6 × bodyweight (Morton), the plateau in people not in a deficit.

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Table by bodyweight

Daily protein in grams. The cut column assumes 15% body fat; for another percentage, use the formula.
Bodyweight	1.6 g/kg (Morton)	2.2 g/kg (upper confidence limit, Morton)	Cut: 2.3-3.1 g/kg of lean mass (Helms)
60 kg	96 g	132 g	117-158 g
70 kg	112 g	154 g	137-184 g
80 kg	128 g	176 g	156-211 g
90 kg	144 g	198 g	176-237 g
100 kg	160 g	220 g	196-264 g
110 kg	176 g	242 g	215-290 g

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How to split protein across meals

The ISSN position stand gives 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kg of bodyweight per serving, or 20-40 g, spread evenly every 3-4 hours. Helms, Aragon and Fitschen, in their contest-prep recommendations, suggest three to six meals a day.

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How much protein common foods have

Values per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy), and the portion that gives 30 g of protein
Food (FDC ID)	Protein per 100 g	kcal per 100 g	Portion for 30 g protein	kcal of that portion
Chicken breast, roasted, meat only (171477)	31.0 g	165	97 g	160
Light tuna in water, drained (171986)	25.5 g	116	118 g	137
Ground beef 90/10, pan-browned (171794)	28.4 g	230	106 g	243
Firm tofu (172475)	17.3 g	144	173 g	249
Whole egg, raw (171287)	12.6 g	143	238 g	340
Cottage cheese, 2% fat (172182)	10.4 g	81	288 g	234
Greek yogurt, plain, low fat (170903)	9.95 g	73	302 g	220
Lentils, boiled (172421)	9.02 g	116	333 g	386

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On a cut, the last column matters too: 30 g of protein from chicken breast costs about 160 kcal, from eggs about 340 kcal. For packaged foods such as skyr, use the values on the label.

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How CalXd does it

CalXd calculates your daily calorie and macro targets from your profile and goal. With the Weight Loss goal, the protein target is 2.0 g per kg of bodyweight; above a BMI of 30 the app works it out from an adjusted reference weight. At 15% body fat, 2.0 g/kg of bodyweight is about 2.35 g per kg of lean mass, the bottom of the Helms range; below about 13% body fat it is under that range.

Log a meal by photo, voice, text or barcode. Type, for example, "200 g chicken breast with 100 g rice" and CalXd estimates calories, protein, fats and carbs. The dashboard shows the protein you have eaten today against your protein target, in grams.

Questions

How many grams of protein per kg on a cut?

The Helms review gives 2.3-3.1 g per kg of lean body mass a day for lean resistance-trained people in a deficit. At 15% body fat that is about 2.0-2.6 g per kg of bodyweight. The ISSN gives 1.4-2.0 g/kg of bodyweight for most people who exercise, and states the same 2.3-3.1 g/kg range for a deficit per kg of bodyweight, not lean mass.

Is 2 g of protein per kg enough on a cut?

At 15% body fat, 2 g/kg of bodyweight is about 2.35 g/kg of lean mass, the bottom of the Helms range. Below about 13% body fat, 2 g/kg of bodyweight falls under that range. The review says to scale up with lower body fat and a bigger deficit.

How do I work out protein on a cut without a calculator?

Multiply bodyweight by (1 − body fat percentage ÷ 100) to get lean mass, then by 2.3 and by 3.1. For 80 kg at 15% body fat: 68 kg, so 156-211 g of protein a day.

How much protein per meal?

The ISSN position stand gives 0.25 g per kg of bodyweight, or 20-40 g, per serving, every 3-4 hours. With a high daily target, meals come out larger: 170 g over four meals is about 43 g each, over five 34 g.

Sources

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