Protein in the Athlete's Diet

Protein is an essential part of our daily diet; however, the dietary requirements of athletes constitute a controversial topic. There are two major schools of thought: (1) that exercise participation increases the nutritional protein requirement and (2) that protein requirements are relatively similar between sedentary persons and active athletes. Part of this controversy arises from the differences in the definition of protein requirements. Scientifically, protein needs are based on nitrogen balance. Protein metabolism is affected by the athlete's age, sex, energy intake, and ...