Originally Posted by
wolfchild
Most Americans are also couch potatoes and don't engage in any intense physical activity several times per week, so here you are correct when you say that most people eat too much protein....However there is another side to it. The RDA, daily recommendation for protein intake set out by medical doctors and government bureaucrats are bare minimums required for survival and they are meant for sedentary people who don't engage in vigorous physical activities several times per week....The RDA for protein intake as recommended by your government is way too low for people who are involved in athletic activities... Athletes, especially those who are involved in power sports like weight training, sprinting, interval training and various power activities, endurance athletes need a higher protein intake than sedentary people.
I am a medical professional- I do work with dialysis patients who need a super high protein diet, but even athletes often meet their needs without supplementation. and many of my dialysis patients do with just a thought to eating protein at every meal. I'm a dietitian. I won't say there isn't a place for supplements (I use them occasionally- I need protein with breakfast, but with a 45 mile commute I often make a smoothie to drink in the car when I work in Detroit, I use protein powders in those), but for most people they don't have to.. I'm not basing this off RDA, but off medical research and dietary needs identified by medical professionals. There are athletes who have no choice, but I don't get the impression that that is most of the people I've talked to on this board. Most of us aren't riding 100 miles a day for days at a time.. or even 100km/day... I won't argue that athletes need different things than sedentary people, but I do think each persons needs are different and that often we CAN meet them without adding in supplements on a regular basis. I just had this conversation with a bunch of medical professionals and proved that it can be done and done easily. It just takes some smart thinking. Snacks like roasted chickpeas instead of potato chips, edamame, etc...