Protein intake for building muscle comes down to a handful of questions: how much per day, how that works out at your body weight, when to eat it, and what to put in the shake.
Research on resistance training puts the useful range at about 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, which is roughly 0.7 to 1 gram per pound, spread across three or four meals [1][2]. In a pooled analysis of 49 trials, gains in lean mass stopped rising once total intake passed about 1.6 g/kg, and the confidence interval on that break point ran up to 2.2 g/kg [1]. A shake is one easy way to close the gap between what a normal day of eating gives you and your number.
Multiply your body weight by 0.7 for the low end and by 1.0 for the top. The table does the arithmetic at the same 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg range [1][2].
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| Body weight | Daily protein for muscle gain |
|---|---|
| 150 lb (68 kg) | about 110 to 150 g |
| 170 lb (77 kg) | about 125 to 170 g |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | about 145 to 200 g |
Start near the low end, track your training for a few weeks, and move up if progress stalls. The studies behind these numbers followed people doing resistance training, so the range assumes you are lifting regularly.
Yes. One gram per pound is about 2.2 g/kg, which is the top of the range the research covers [1][2]. The pooled data show the average benefit levelling off near 1.6 g/kg (about 0.73 g per pound), so 1 gram per pound sits above the point where extra protein stopped adding lean mass in the average trial [1]. Some people choose it because it is easy to remember and leaves a margin on days when a meal is smaller than planned. If a gram per pound feels like a lot to eat, aiming between 0.7 and 1 gram per pound is supported by the same evidence.
Far less than the supplement industry has made it sound. A meta-analysis of timing studies found no significant difference in strength or muscle growth between people who timed protein around training and people who did not, once total protein was matched. Total protein intake was the strongest predictor of results [3]. A shake within a couple of hours of training is fine, and the clock matters less than the daily number. Here's what 20g of protein per serving actually gets you toward that total.
Yes, once the amino acid profile is covered. A single plant protein like pea runs low on certain amino acids; a blend of pea, rice and other sources covers the gap the same way a varied diet does. We build NØRSE CØDE from three sources, pea, rice and barley, for exactly that reason: combining them gives the blend a fuller amino acid spread, closer to what a mixed diet already gives you. Here's how that blend compares to Orgain's, one of the other pea-based proteins on shelves. For the longer answer, see can plant protein build muscle like whey.
Usually it's not the protein itself. It's what got added to make a plain isolate mix and taste better: gums, thickeners, sugar alcohols, or simply more shakes than your gut is used to handling at once. We build NØRSE CØDE without any of that, and add prebiotic acacia fiber instead, the same fiber that shows up in the ingredient list of a lot of foods you'd never think twice about. One customer put it better than we could: "This is the first plant protein powder I've tried that doesn't make me gassy or bloated. The chocolate tastes great and I drink it almost every day and still love it."
A review of the per-meal research lands on a target of about 0.4 grams per kilogram per meal, across at least four meals, to reach the 1.6 g/kg daily minimum [2]. For a 170-pound person that is roughly 30 grams a meal. Eating more than about 20 grams at once raises the amount of amino acids burned for energy, though the review found some of the extra still goes to building tissue [2]. If you are chasing a high daily number, spreading it across more meals and shakes gets you there more reliably than one giant scoop.
A short ingredient list, more than one protein source, and a texture you'll actually keep drinking. The best protein on a spec sheet does nothing for you sitting half-finished in the cupboard. NØRSE CØDE carries only 9 natural ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, no gums, no fillers, with allulose and monk fruit for sweetness so both flavors land at 0g sugar. In a blind taste test, more people chose it over Orgain and Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard combined, and it works in whatever you're already drinking, hot or cold, with a spoon. We make it ourselves, in our own facility in Petaluma, California, and it ships with a 60-day money-back guarantee. For the full ten-brand rundown against other proteins, we compared it here.
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