Dieting For Dummies
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Athletes have special dietary needs, particularly when they want to lose weight. To maintain performance, athletes in training need extra calories in their diets — especially carbohydrates and protein.

Like your carbohydrate needs, your protein needs are calculated based on your weight and your level of physical activity. Endurance exercise increases protein and carbohydrate requirements. Building muscle takes added protein, too. And because one of the goals of weight loss for athletes is increasing muscle mass, eating extra protein is recommended for athletes who diet.

The following lays it all out for you. Notice there is no separate recommendation for maintaining muscle. Nor is there a recommendation for protein higher than 1 gram per pound of body weight because there is no proven benefit that higher levels enhance muscle building — despite recommendations and testimonials dispensed in the locker room.

Muscle building takes adequate protein plus adequate calories.

Protein Needs for Athletes
Activity Level Grams of Protein per Pound per Day
Recreational adult (noncompeting) 0.5 to 0.75
Competitive athlete 0.6 to 0.9
Muscle building 0.7 to 0.9
Weight loss 0.7 to 1.0

About This Article

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About the book authors:

Jane Kirby, RD is a registered dietitian and member of the American Dietetic Association. She is the food and nutrition editor of Real Simple magazine and owner of The Vermont Cooking School, IncTM in Charlotte, Vermont. Jane is the former editor of Eating Well magazine and the food and nuitrition editor for Glamour. She served on the dietetics staff of the Massachusettes General Hospital in Boston, where she  completed graduate work in nutrition. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Marymount College.

The American Dietetic Association is the world’s largest group of nutrition and health professionals. As an advocate of the profession, the ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health, and well-being.

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