Back to Basics: Protein

What is protein, anyway?
Proteins are made up of amino acids. There are many different kinds of protein in your body, including the protein found in skeletal muscles.

How does protein work?
Protein provides the amino acids necessary for maintaining an anabolic state (state of growth). This is why an athlete needs to consume more protein than the average sedentary individual, so that he or she can repair muscle tissue and utilize the amino acids needed for protein synthesis.

How much protein do I need?
The recommended daily allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of your body weight. One kilogram equals 2.2 lbs. So a 150-lb person would need approximately 54 grams of protein per day. While this RDA is adequate to meet the daily requirements for the majority of sedentary individuals, overwhelming data indicates that it's suboptimal for endurance and strength training athletes. Based on studies examining the optimal protein requirement for individuals engaged in exercise, experts recommend the following:

• For strength and power exercisers, about 1.7 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
• For endurance exercisers, about 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.