Protein recommendations are all over the place - 1g per lb, 2g per kg, 'as much as possible'. For a natural lifter trying to build muscle, how much do you actually need before it stops helping?
The evidence lands around 1.6-2.2g per kg of bodyweight for maximising muscle gain. Past roughly 2.2g/kg there's no real extra benefit for muscle - it just becomes expensive calories. Most people do fine aiming for ~2g/kg.
So 1g per lb (≈2.2g/kg) is basically the upper useful end, not a minimum?
Right. 1g/lb is a fine easy-to-remember target that sits at the top of the useful range. You don't need more, and you can even go a touch lower and be fine.
Spreading it across 3-4 meals of 30-50g each is a reasonable way to do it, though total daily intake is what matters most. Don't stress the exact per-meal timing - hit your daily number consistently and you're set.
And don't let chasing huge protein crowd out carbs and fats you need for training and recovery. Hit ~2g/kg protein, then fill the rest of your calories with enough carbs to train hard. Balance beats maxing one macro.
Clear - around 2g/kg, spread across meals, don't overshoot at the expense of carbs. That simplifies things a lot. Thanks all.