Cole says to keep the protein under 20% of the calories. What is the minimum amount of protein I should aim for? He mentions you can go as low as 80g protein. Is that enough for building and maintaining muscle?
As someone dabbling in natural amateur bodybuilding and someone who has lifted for over a decade now, I can attest that 80g of protein on a no carb high fat diet is adequate for muscle maintenance as long as you’re lifting heavy enough in the gym but not too high of reps or too many sets to not tax myself or attempt to grow muscle. Just maintenance. I’ve cut down with much higher protein and I don’t notice any difference from doing that and doing like 80-100g protein. For reference I’m typically sitting around 190-200 lbs at around 15% body fat. I don’t believe, however, that you’ll notice any gains in muscle or strength unless you’re taking PED’s or a complete beginner in the gym on that low of a protein intake. This current 80/20 macro split from Cole is fairly ideal for cutting and maintenance but if you want to put on any sizeable muscle, definitely consume closer to the typical 1g+/kg body weight and reintroduce carbs. Hope that helps!