Protein Needs

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “how much protein do I need in my diet…do I need more than normal because I’m active?”

The amount of protein that a person needs each day is based on how much they weigh.  Sedentary adults, those who do not do any physical activity, need 0.8 grams (g) of protein for each kilogram (kg) of body weight.  Certain athletes will require more than this.

First of all, most of us know our body weight in pounds, so we need to convert it to kg.  Your body weight in kg will always be less than in pounds.  To convert to kg, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.  For example:

220 pounds / 2.2 = 100 kg

Once you have your weight in kg, you need to multiply it by the appropriate protein number.  As I said before, sedentary individuals would use 0.8 as their protein number.  Two types of athletes, endurance athletes (like runners and cyclists) and resistance trainers (body builders, weight lifters) require more protein than sedentary individuals.  Here are the protein numbers for these athletes:

Endurance athletes: 1.2-1.4 g protein/kg body weight

Strength athletes: 1.2-1.7 g protein/kg body weight

Let’s use our 220 pound athlete, who is an endurance cyclist:

220 pounds / 2.2 = 100  kg

100 kg * 1.2  = 120 grams of protein are needed each day

To figure out your own protein needs, plug in your own body weight.  To track the amount of protein you eat each day, read food labels, which will all note how many grams of protein are in each serving of the food you are eating.  Note that most Americans get more than enough protein in their diet, so may be surprised that you are already in the range needed by athletes!