How Much Protein Per Pound of Body Weight? The Definitive Answer
The supplement industry says 2g per pound. The government says 0.36g. Science says the answer is in between.
The RDA of 0.36g per pound (0.8g/kg) is the MINIMUM to prevent clinical protein deficiency in sedentary adults. It is not the optimal amount for health, body composition, or muscle building. The RDA was never designed as a performance or optimization target.
Evidence-Based Recommendations by Goal
Sedentary adult (maintain health): 0.5-0.6g/lb. This exceeds the RDA and provides a comfortable margin. Active adult (general fitness): 0.7-0.8g/lb. Supports muscle maintenance and recovery from exercise. Building muscle: 0.8-1.0g/lb. This is the range supported by virtually every meta-analysis on muscle protein synthesis. Fat loss (preserving muscle): 1.0-1.2g/lb. Higher protein during a calorie deficit prevents muscle loss and maintains metabolic rate.
Above 1.0g/lb: Diminishing Returns
Multiple large meta-analyses (Morton et al. 2018, Stokes et al. 2018) found no additional muscle-building benefit above 0.73g/lb (1.6g/kg). The commonly cited 1g/lb (2.2g/kg) provides a safety margin but no measurable advantage over 0.8g/lb. Eating 200g+ of protein daily on a 170-pound frame is expensive, difficult, and provides zero additional benefit according to current evidence.