How Much Protein Do Athletes Need? (Part 2)
[Article by Tait Hearps of Sweat Elite]
Continued from How Much Protein Do Athletes Need (Part 1)
There is conflicting evidence out there, but it appears that an increase in protein requirements occurs with increased exercise. One must keep in mind that total caloric demands also increase, so it makes sense that protein requirements should increase. How much does it increase? Again, evidence is conflicting, and the answer depends on training status (eg. novice vs experienced), duration of exercise, the number of training sessions per day, the number of competitive events per day etcetera. One takeaway from the literature is that the acute dose of protein following exercise need not surpass 20g, as the body struggles to absorb and assimilate higher doses. The same applies to meals. It’s wise to distribute protein intake throughout the day. The anabolic effect of exercise is long-lasting (at least 24 h), but likely diminishes with increasing time post-exercise.
It’s interesting that despite studies suggesting that the (already elevated) recommendations for protein intake by endurance athletes may be too low – failing to optimise performance – there are many top endurance athletes who controvert this. An interesting study looked at the dietary habits of elite runners in Kenya.
The athletes were consuming a diet very high in carbohydrates (76.5%, 10.4 g/kg of body mass per day) and low in fat (13.4%). Protein intake represented 10.1% of their total calories which worked out to be 1.3 g/kg per day, which matches the recommendations by the American College of Sports Medicine mentioned above. Another interesting point is that the estimated energy intake of the athletes (2987 ± 293 kcal) was lower than energy expenditure (3605 ± 119 kcal).
This aligns with what we witnessed whilst training with Kipchoge and other elites in Kenya. Coming in from a long run, there was no sign of protein shakes. The snacks of choice were bananas, white bread and milky tea saturated with sugar. The authors of this study also noted that fluid intake by the Kenyan athletes studied was modest, mainly in the form of water (1113 ± 269 mL) and tea (1243 ± 348 mL). Their conclusions: “Although the diet met most recommendations for endurance athletes for macronutrient intake, it remains to be determined if modifying energy balance and fluid intake will enhance the performance of elite Kenyan runners.”
Another elite who contradicts the data supporting a high protein intake is Kilian Jornet, one of the most accomplished mountain athletes in the world. He recently sparked debate when he made a post on Instagram that was implicitly imploring people to reconsider their consumption of high amounts of animal protein – due to the impact this has on the environment – pointing out that he doesn’t focus his nutrition on protein at all, mainly consuming high amounts of carbohydrates, and “not much protein at all” (with the underlying context that he spends many hours each day exercising in the mountains).
Many tend to focus greatly on protein in their diets, supplementing with powders following workouts and also making proteins the centrepiece of their meals. However, data such as this – showing that these Kenyan athletes are still meeting the advised protein requirements with their high-carb diet and a relative energy deficit – suggests that piles of meat need not be on your plate. One 250g steak has around 62 grams of protein. The recommendations for a 70kg man engaging in endurance training is only 91g (1.3g/kg) spread through the day. And given that the caloric requirements of those engaging in this training increase, the density of protein in meals and snacks need not greatly increase to make up for the increased requirements.
These are just two examples of athletes that go against the grain and does not imply that high protein is not good for performance. It shows that people can perform at high levels without consuming high amounts of protein, but also raises the question as to whether they are so good despite their low protein intake and whether performance would be optimised if these athletes were to increase their intake.
So how to go about getting all the amino acids that the body requires? A “complete protein” refers to a protein source that contains all of the essential amino acids. Animal sources of protein – beef, chicken, eggs, milk – are complete. Plant sources such as soy, quinoa, hemp, spirulina and chia are all complete, and many others – such as brown rice, beans, peanut butter, lentils, nuts and seeds – can be combined to make a meal a replete with a full array of amino acids. These plant sources often come with additional nutritional firepower from added fibre, monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
As with all discussions on nutrition, this one must come with the caveat that everyone reacts differently to different stimuli. There is no universal sweet spot for protein intake that will optimise performance for everybody. There is conflicting evidence out there, and the above information is by no means a didactic command to eat in a certain way. Self-experimentation is important, and honestly appraising your reaction to different ways of doing ANYTHING – whether that’s how you’re eating, exercising, studying or sleeping – is crucial for making changes in the way you do things.
