Protein and Exercise

Those who exercise regularly or are competitive athletes require a higher intake of nutrients compared to a healthy individual who isn’t physically active. Whether you’re running, swimming, or weightlifting you will expend more energy and require additional nutrients to recover from the activity/sport. Those who are physically active require slightly more protein than sedentary individuals because during physical activity you are breaking down muscle tissue and protein is required to rebuild and strengthen that tissue.

However, most people don’t know how much they need. Unfortunately there isn’t an easy one-fits-all answer. Every person requires a different amount and it depends on multiple factors such as age, weight, amount of physical activity and current state of health. Although athletes need more protein than non-athletes, it’s not as high as commonly perceived.

How much do I need?

The RDA (recommended dietary intake) for healthy non-active adults (>18 years of age) is 0.8g of protein for every kg body weight each day. So for example, someone weighing 150lbs (68.1kg) would require about 55g protein.

The recommendations for active individuals range between 1.2-1.8g of protein for every kg of body weight with a maximum intake of 2.0g/kg body weight. More specifically, endurance athletes need 1.2-1.4g/kg and strength athletes need 1.6-1.8g/kg. So for example, someone weighing 150lbs wouldn’t need any more than 136g protein per day (2.0g/kg). Research has shown that consuming more than 2.0g/kg of protein per day has no added benefit in muscle growth or sports performance.

The amount of protein you require is dependent on a number of factors including: period of training, type of training, age, dietary protein quality, desire to gain weight...etc. Therefore is is always best to speak to a sports dietitian who can help you find out what will work best for you and your training.

More the better, right? Wrong.

While protein is essential for building muscle mass, more is not necessarily better. Consuming more protein that you need may displace other important nutrients such as carbohydrates, which can impact sports performance.

Are protein supplements needed?

Most people consuming adequate calories and a variety of foods in their diet can easily meet protein recommendations from food alone, even for the top elite athlete. Protein supplements are not necessary, however they do provide convenience for some athletes.

What about vegetarians or vegans?

Some people think that people who eat a plant based diet need more protein, but people who eat this way have the same recommendations.