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There are many theories circulating about the amount of protein needed daily. First of all, it is difficult to establish a norm because people differ greatly from each other. For example, differences in age, gender, weight, individual condition, how active someone is, and the state of someone’s health all play a role in determining the correct protein intake.
Recommended Daily Protein Intake
Normally, the recommended daily amount of protein for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
So, an adult weighing 80 kilograms needs 80*0.8=64 grams of protein per day.
There are people who need to consume more protein per day, such as children, pregnant women, vegans, people with certain conditions, and endurance and strength athletes.
Pregnant women should consume about 10-15 grams more protein per day.
However, these recommendations do not take into account strength and endurance athletes. Experts have advised that athletes should consume between 1.2 and 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Where 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight would be for endurance athletes and 1.4-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight would be for strength athletes.
Athletes need more energy than non-athletes. Therefore, athletes need to eat more and, proportionally (with a balanced diet), also consume more protein. Percentage-wise, athletes do not need to eat more protein than non-athletes, but they do need to eat more overall, resulting in a higher protein intake.
“1.4 grams of protein per kilogram”
A study from McMaster University gave strength athletes a low-protein diet (0.86 g/kg) for thirteen days, another group an average amount of protein (1.4 g/kg), and another group a high protein intake (2.4 g/kg). Athletes who consumed a low dose of protein (the same as non-athletes) lost muscle mass. The two other groups with an average and high intake had the same results, and body protein (muscle mass) increased.
Most interestingly, the athletes who received 2.4 g/kg of body weight did not build more muscle mass than the athletes who consumed 1.4 g/kg of body weight. So when protein intake reaches an optimal level, a higher intake does not have a more positive effect and does not lead to more muscle growth. Gyms often advocate consuming 2 to 3 grams per kilogram of body weight, but this has not been shown from this single study.
Is Too Much Protein Harmful
Certain foods such as dairy products and red meat contain high amounts of saturated fats. So if you try to achieve a high protein consumption by eating a lot of full-fat dairy products and red meat, you also consume more saturated fats. This can be harmful to health and performance. Of course, there are also ways to consume a lot of proteins with lean products or plant proteins or supplements. An excess of proteins is processed into glucose and can be used as energy or stored in the body as glycogen.
If you already have a high carbohydrate consumption, your glycogen stores may already be full. Then, excess proteins are stored as body fat, although it should be noted that this is probably only the case with very large protein intakes. It is also sometimes mentioned that too much protein can damage the liver and kidneys, but this has never been proven in healthy people. However, eating too much protein can lead to dehydration because extra water is drawn to dissolve the increased amounts of urea. So make sure to drink enough (water) daily.
Conclusion
People who are not (actively!) engaged in practicing a sport need 0.8 g/kg of body weight of protein daily. Endurance athletes should aim for between 1.2 and 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and strength athletes between 1.4 grams and 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. A higher intake does not lead to more body protein or muscle mass. Additionally, athletes do not need to consume more protein percentage-wise than non-athletes. However, they do need to consume more calories, resulting in a higher protein intake overall.
