Fueling Athletes—More Protein or More Food?

By: Kathy Pollard, MS A common concern in the world of athletics is making sure to get enough protein. The result is the success of a huge industry established to sell powders and supplements adding more and more protein into the demanding diets of athletes, both professional and weekend warriors, just to make sure they get enough. Though this practice has greatly rewarded the supplement industry, it does an athletic body harm. In reality, it’s very hard for athletes NOT to get enough protein in their diets, if they are getting enough calories to support their needs. The daily recommendation for protein for adults is .8 grams/day per kilogram of body weight, when actually the RDA is adjusted upwards by 2 standard deviations from the Estimated Average. This RDA of .8 grams per kg of body weight, by the way, is