Sedentary adults are commonly advised to consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This figure is the widely used Recommended Dietary Allowance for healthy adults.
It is a body-weight-based target rather than a fixed number for everyone. A 70-kilogram adult, for example, would calculate 70 × 0.8, or 56 grams of protein per day. The recommendation is intended to cover the needs of nearly all healthy adults when averaged over time, not to prescribe an exact amount every day.
The number comes from protein-requirement research, including nitrogen-balance studies, and is expressed relative to body mass. Protein supplies amino acids for maintaining tissues, making enzymes and hormones, and supporting immune function. It is found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, soy and nuts.
People often confuse the general adult RDA with sports-nutrition targets. Regular resistance or endurance training, pregnancy, breastfeeding, illness and advanced age may lead experts to recommend different intakes. Thus, 0.8 g/kg is a baseline for healthy sedentary adults, not a universal performance or medical prescription.