Indian Protein & Creatine Calculator

Built on the ICMR-NIN Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians, the ISSN position stands on protein and creatine, and the ACSM joint position stand — then translated into dal, roti, paneer, curd and eggs rather than abstract grams. Every number below is sourced. No email required.

Body weight

kglb

Sex Male Female

Used only for the ICMR-NIN reference comparison.

Activity level Sedentary — little or no exercise Recreational — 2–4 sessions a week Strength training — 4+ sessions a week Endurance — running, cycling, swimming

Primary goal Maintain Build muscle Fat loss, preserve muscle

Diet Non-vegetarian Vegetarian (lacto / lacto-ovo) Vegan

Affects the ICMR-NIN reference and the creatine guidance.

Meals per day 3456

Your daily protein target

—

Per meal

—

ICMR-NIN reference

—

Creatine — loading (optional)

—

0.3 g/kg/day for 5–7 days, split into 4 doses. Loading is optional.

Creatine — daily maintenance

—

What that looks like on an Indian plate

Each row shows roughly how much of a single food would meet your midpoint target on its own. Nobody eats this way — the point is to show the relative contribution of foods you already eat.

Food	Protein per serving	Servings to hit target

You are on a cereal-dominant vegetarian or vegan diet ICMR-NIN sets a higher requirement of 1.0 g/kg/day, rather than 0.83, for Indians on cereal-based diets with lower-quality protein — a roughly 20% uplift written into India's own national guideline. The reason is amino acid quality, not quantity: lysine is the first limiting amino acid in cereal-dominant Indian diets. ICMR-NIN recommends a cereal : legume : milk ratio of 3 : 1 : 2.5 to correct for this.

Creatine and vegetarian diets Creatine occurs in meaningful amounts only in animal flesh — milk, curd, paneer and eggs are negligible sources. Vegetarians have been reported to carry muscle creatine stores roughly 20–30% lower than non-vegetarians, and in a controlled trial vegetarians gained more lean tissue from supplementation than non-vegetarians did (2.4 kg vs 1.9 kg over eight weeks). Same dose, larger expected effect.

What Indian guidelines actually say about supplements ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) advises Indians to obtain good-quality protein through appropriate food combinations and to avoid protein supplements for building muscle mass. We sell protein supplements and we still think you should read that guideline. A supplement is a convenience for hitting a target you have already decided is right for you — it is not a requirement, and food-first is sound advice.

Cite or embed this calculator

This tool is free to cite, quote and embed, including commercially. We ask only for a visible link back. If you are a journalist or researcher and want the underlying formulas or a comment on the record, email support@imuscles.in.

Plain citation

iMuscles Nutrition (2026). Indian Protein & Creatine Calculator. https://imuscles.in/protein-calculator

Embed on your site

<iframe src="https://imuscles.in/protein-calculator?embed=1"
        width="100%" height="900" style="border:1px solid #e3e7ec;border-radius:10px"
        title="Indian Protein &amp; Creatine Calculator by iMuscles Nutrition"
        loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Calculator by <a href="https://imuscles.in/protein-calculator">iMuscles Nutrition</a></p>

Sources

1. ICMR-NIN Expert Group (2020, rev. 2024). Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements. RDA 0.83 g/kg/day for adults; 1.0 g/kg/day for cereal-based diets with lower-quality protein; cereal : legume : milk ratio 3 : 1 : 2.5. nin.res.in
2. ICMR-NIN (2024). Dietary Guidelines for Indians. Guideline 8 on protein quality and supplements. nin.res.in
3. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14:20. 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day for exercising individuals; 0.25 g/kg or 20–40 g per serving, every 3–4 hours. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
4. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. (2017). ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14:18. Loading ~0.3 g/kg/day for 5–7 days; maintenance 3–5 g/day; alternative 3 g/day for 28 days without loading. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
5. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 48(3):543–568. 1.2–2.0 g/kg/day; 0.25–0.3 g/kg per dose. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852
6. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. (2018). Meta-analysis of protein supplementation and resistance training. Br J Sports Med 52(6):376–384. Benefit plateaus at ~1.62 g/kg/day (95% CI 1.03–2.20). doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
7. Hector AJ, Phillips SM (2018). Protein recommendations for weight loss in elite athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 28(2):170–177. 1.6–2.4 g/kg/day in a deficit. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0273
8. Burke DG, Chilibeck PD, Parise G, et al. (2003). Effect of creatine and weight training on muscle creatine and performance in vegetarians. Med Sci Sports Exerc 35(11):1946–1955. PMID 14600563.
9. Kreider RB, Stout JR (2021). Creatine in health and disease. Nutrients 13:447. Vegetarian muscle creatine stores 20–30% lower. doi:10.3390/nu13020447
10. ICMR-NIN (2017). Indian Food Composition Tables. Protein per 100 g for Indian foods. nin.res.in

Not medical advice. This calculator applies population-level guidelines and cannot account for kidney or liver conditions, pregnancy, diabetes, or medication. Speak to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant dietary changes.

Built and maintained by iMuscles Nutrition, New Delhi. Last reviewed August 2026. Found an error? Tell us at support@imuscles.in and we will correct it and credit you.