Athletes come in all shapes and sizes yet they all want to give their very best to the sport or training they are involved in.
We know the huge role nutrition plays in optimizing athletic performance. EnergyFirst especially highlights protein's unique role in improving athletic performance and recovering from physical activity. Protein contributes little to supplying energy. It's main role is in repairing and strengthening lean tissue.
Protein Requirements
The daily RDA (or Recommended Allowance) for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. This level is considered "adequate" for preventing deficiency. Careful, though. An adequate amount of protein isn't necessarily an optimal amount of protein. When it comes to athletes, an "adequate" supply of protein may not be enough. Multiple lines of evidence point to this fact. Protein requirements are not a one-size-fits-all matter. For athletes, requirements depend on the duration, intensity, and type of activity an athlete is involved in. For example, resistance and power athletes require more protein than endurance athletes because they are building greater muscle mass.
The Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend that:
• endurance athletes (running, cycling, swimming) eat between 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day
• resistance, speed and strength-trained athletes eat 1.2-1.7 grams protein per kg of body weight
Recent, more general recommendations are 0.25 g of a high-quality protein per kg of body weight, or an absolute dose of 20–40 g. Higher doses (about 40 g) may be needed to maximize muscle protein building in the elderly.
Any protein intake above these requirements has not been shown to contribute to greater muscle mass. Rather, it ends up being broken down to supply energy or is stored as fat.
How Protein Helps Endurance Exercise
Added protein does not improve endurance performance when given for days, weeks or even immediately prior or during endurance exercise. Still, adding protein during or after an intense bout of endurance exericse does reduce signs of muscle damage and muscle soreness.
How Protein Helps Resistance Exercise
When combining protein with resistance exericise, the extent to which protein will contribute to enhancing muscle strength depends on several factors: intensity, volume, progression of your resistance training program, the length of your training program, total amount of energy intake in your diet and the quality of your protein intake (i.e. the leucine content of protein you ingest). Don't be discouraged if you don't see results quickly. A meta-analysis found that untrained beginner athletes typically don't see the strength benefits of protein intake until duration, frequency, and volume of their program increases. Regardless of what protein intake is optimal for you, remember that pacing or evenly spreading out your protein intake throughout the day (at episodes of about three to four hours apart) has consistently shown to bring about the best muscle building and performance benefits.
References
American Dietetic Association. (2009). Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109 (3), 509-527. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2009.01.005
Jäger, R., Kerksick, C. M., Campbell, B. I., Cribb, P. J., Wells, S. D., Skwiat, T. M., … Antonio, J. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
Pasiakos SM, Mclellan TM, Lieberman HR. The effects of protein supplements on muscle mass, strength, and aerobic and anaerobic power in healthy adults: a systematic review. Sports Med. 2015;45:111–131. doi: 10.1007/s40279-014-0242-2.