1g protein per lb of bodyweight — actually backed by evidence or gym broscience?

Half the lifters I know swear by 1g/lb (so ~180g/day for me at 180lb). The other half cite studies saying 0.7-0.8g/lb is the actual ceiling for muscle protein synthesis and anything above is just expensive pee.

What's the actual current consensus? I'm in a recomp phase, lifting 4x/week. Don't want to under-eat protein but also don't want to choke down 50g more than I need every single day.

The honest answer: 0.7-0.8g/lb (1.6-1.8 g/kg) is where the evidence ceiling actually sits for muscle protein synthesis in resistance-trained adults. The Morton et al. 2018 meta-analysis is the standard reference — diminishing returns hard above ~1.6 g/kg.

BUT. The 1g/lb rule has practical value as a buffer in two scenarios: (1) cutting in a deficit, where higher protein protects lean mass and improves satiety, and (2) older lifters (40+) where anabolic resistance modestly raises the optimal intake. For maintenance recomp at your age the 0.7-0.8 number is fine.

Honestly 1g/lb is a fine heuristic even if it's slightly above optimal. Easier to remember, builds in a buffer for tracking error, and protein is the most satiating macro so erring high helps adherence. The "expensive pee" framing is technically true but ignores that adherence is the actual limiting factor for most people.

The studies people cite for 0.7-0.8g/lb mostly used controlled-feeding designs where protein intake was actually verified. In real-world tracking, people underestimate protein by 10-20% routinely. So if your "0.8g/lb target" is actually 0.65g/lb on the scale, you're under-eating. The 1g/lb rule basically corrects for tracking error.

Imo just hit the floor consistently and don't stress. I've cut and bulked at everything between 0.8 and 1.2 g/lb and honestly couldn't tell the difference for muscle. Above the floor it's prefence and satiety.

One nuance the threads always miss: distribution matters. 4 meals of 40g lands cleaner than 2 meals of 80g for MPS (per-meal saturation around 0.4g/kg/meal). So if you're hitting 180g/day in two giant shakes, you're leaving stimulus on the table. Spread it.

@foodScalePhil that's actually the most useful reply for me. I do tend to back-load protein into dinner. Going to spread it out across 4 meals and see how I feel.

Tbh whatever lets you sustainably eat enough. I aimed for 1g/lb for a year, hated my life by month 4, ratcheted down to 0.8 and hit my recomp goals just fine. Adherence > optimization.

1g/lb gang reporting in. Best lifts of my life on it. Could I have done the same on 0.75? Maybe. Don't care, not changing.