Protein Science Updated: Why It’s Time to Move Beyond the “1.6-2.2g/kg” Rule
Greg Nuckols
December 18, 2024
The recommendation that lifters should aim to consume “1.6-2.2g/kg” of protein is almost universally taken to be an unquestionable truth. You probably don’t need to exceed 1.6g/kg in the first place, and if you do exceed 2.2g/kg, you’ll definitely just waste the extra protein you consume – it certainly won’t contribute to further muscle growth. However, a closer look at the meta-analysis that generated this recommendation suggests that we probably shouldn’t have been quite so confident that protein intakes within this range will maximize muscle growth. When you dive deep into the protein research, it looks like slightly higher intakes may be necessary to max out your gains.
