Do athletes require more protein?
Anyone who has picked up a heavy barbell, or even walked up a long flight of stairs can testify that exercise takes a toll on the body. But, does the type or intensity of exercise you perform affect your protein requirements? Substantial evidence suggests that, for both endurance and strength, athletes require more protein than non-active individuals. Endurance exercise Approximately one to six percent of the energy used by muscles to fuel endurance exercise comes from amino acids. After endurance exercise, amino acid requirements are increased. These processes, combined with clinical evidence, suggest that endurance athletes may not be able to meet their daily amino acid requirements by consuming protein intakes within the RDA. Furthermore, as activity level increases, higher protein intakes are necessary to meet the body’s needs. Clinical evidence suggests that recreational athletes need to consume about one gram of protein/kg/d, while moderate to well-trained endurance athletes requ
