The official recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, used as an international benchmark, was never meant as an optimal target – it’s the minimum threshold needed to prevent deficiency in a sedentary adult.
For active people or athletes, sports nutrition organizations typically recommend somewhere between 1.2 and 2 grams per kilogram, depending on the type and intensity of training – one and a half to two and a half times higher than the “official” figure.
That gap explains a common confusion: the number on nutrition labels or general guidelines isn’t wrong, it just serves a different purpose – preventing a problem, not optimizing performance.
A minimum safety threshold isn’t the same thing as a target to aim for.
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