The classic rule recommending 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is an oversimplification; a more moderate intake is more than sufficient to build and maintain muscle mass.

noli's read

The community largely converges on the idea that the 1g/lb figure is significantly overestimated. Scientific research supports this skepticism: a major meta-analysis (Morton et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine) shows that the benefits for muscle gain generally plateau around 1.6g per kg of body weight (or approximately 0.73g per lb). Beyond that, evidence for an additional advantage is weak for the general population. It is accurate that actual requirements depend more on lean body mass than total weight, making calculations based on gross weight often unnecessarily high for individuals who are overweight. The notion that lower levels (0.6-0.8g/lb) are ineffective is an exaggeration stemming from fitness marketing rather than physiology. In summary, while this lower threshold can be sufficient for progression, scientific consensus considers 1.6g/kg a robust target for optimizing muscular response, without it being a strict limit for growth.

the sources

1. 1r/bodyweightfitness