Protein

Protein is one of the three essential macronutrients. Think of protein as your body’s repair crew, recovering and strengthening muscles and tendons. It plays a pivotal role in athletic performance and well-being. Protein is made up of amino acids, some your body makes on its own, and others you can only get from food. Animal sources (chicken, fish, dairy, eggs) give you all the essentials, while plant sources (beans, grains, nuts, seeds) can get you there too, often requiring just a bit more variety or higher intakes. We often recommend combining multiple vegetarian protein sources in a meal or throughout the day to ensure that needs are met.

Athletes’ protein needs can be more than those of non-athletes, with some variation depending on training and life stage. Adequate daily protein intake spread throughout the day is key to supporting muscle development.

Curious if you’re meeting your needs? A sports dietitian can help you fine-tune both the amount and timing so your nutrition works with your performance goals.

What is Protein?

Protein is one of the three essential macronutrients, alongside carbohydrates and fats, and plays a central role in human health and performance.

For athletes, protein is especially important because it supports muscle growth, repair, and adaptation to training. (Jäger et al., 2017) ¹ Beyond its role in muscle development, protein supports nearly every bodily process by forming enzymes, hormones, immune defenses, and connective tissue.

Protein is made from building blocks called amino acids that are linked together, like beads on a necklace.

While the body is able to produce some amino acids on its own, others must come from food sources. These dietary amino acids are found in a wide range of foods, generally categorized into animal-based and plant-based sources:

Animal-based foods, soy products, and some grains and legumes contain the essential amino acids we need in adequate amounts. Plant-based foods may be less abundant in some of the amino acids, so including a variety of nutrient-dense food sources is optimal. (Raj et al., 2025) ²

Protein powders are a source of supplemental protein among athletes who may struggle to meet their daily protein requirements through food alone.

As dietary supplements, they are not regulated in the same way as food. Look for products that undergo third-party testing, such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport.

Whey protein isolate is often highlighted as a strong choice because of its amino acid balance and quick digestibility. For athletes who prefer plant-based options, research shows that pea or soy protein powders can also effectively support performance and recovery. (Babault et al., 2015; Tang et al., 2009)^3,41,2

How much protein do I need?

Athletes need more protein than non-active individuals.

While the general population only requires 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (g/kg) each day, athletes require 1.3-2.2 g/kg/day, and up to 2.4 g/kg/day in certain circumstances. Phillips et al., 2011; Witard et al., 2019)^5,63,4 It’s important to note that these recommendations have been determined based on research mostly in male athletes. Female-athlete specific research has suggested that the recommended intake is within the range of current sports nutrition guidelines of 1.2-2.0 g/kg/day. (Mercer et al., 2020) ⁷⁵ We do not yet know if hormonal changes that occur over the menstrual cycle or the use of hormonal contraceptives affect protein recommendations for female athletes.

Your recommended needs may be based on your sport, your age, and your goals. A sports dietitian can assess your intake and make sure you are meeting your needs.

More protein may not always be better.

Protein is highly satiating, so ensure you include enough nutritious foods to meet your overall energy and nutrient needs.¹¹ A sports dietitian can assess your dietary intake and ensure you are optimizing protein dosage and timing to meet your goals.

How does protein support performance?

The body’s muscle proteins are in a constant state of turnover. A study Studies in male athletes demonstrated that muscle building, known as muscle protein synthesis, is increased when protein intake was 20 grams/serving and consumed every 3 hours, demonstrating the effect of moderate protein and consistent intake is 20 grams adequate and ideally spread throughout the day in meals and snacks, rather than adhering to the post-exercise ‘anabolic window.’ (Areta et al., 2013; Schoenfeld et al., 2018) ^{11,12110-12, 13}At this time, research in female athletes has shown that eating 0.32-0.38 g/kg pre- and post-exercise leads to positive training adaptations, such as muscle building and increased maximal strength.⁷⁵ There is limited evidence to suggest protein consumption is helpful during exercise, especially when carbohydrate consumption is adequate. During longer endurance efforts (5+ hours/day), eating carbohydrates and protein supports positive protein balance.¹⁴³

Plant-Based Athletes

Athletes following vegetarian or vegan diets can meet their protein and essential amino acid requirements to support performance and muscle recovery through diet planning.

Although some plant-based protein sources are lower in specific essential amino acids, consuming a variety of legumes, grains, nuts, soy, and seeds can provide an amino acid profile comparable to that of animal-based proteins. Attention to protein quality and sufficient intake enables plant-based athletes to adequately stimulate muscle protein synthesis and achieve performance benefits without the need for substantially more protein compared to omnivorous athletes.¹³⁴