In 1968, American decathlete Bill Toomey won the gold medal in Mexico City, setting an Olympic record. One of his main opponents was the German, Kurt Bendin. Kurt was a beautiful athlete, great body, very muscular, but the main thing the announcers were excited about was Kurt’s diet. It was said that he ate eight pounds of meat a day. While this was an exaggeration, it was well known that Kurt’s diet was mostly red meat. In 1968, a lot of people thought protein was the prime fuel, especially for athletes.
Today, you won’t find a successful athlete who eats like Kurt. In fact, the recommended diet for most athletes is a macronutrient composition of 45–65% carbohydrates, 10–35% proteins, and 20–35% from healthy fats. Carbohydrates and fats are the body’s main source of fuel. While proteins are necessary to maintain muscle and bone, to help repair, to support the immune system and much more, they are not normally exercise fuels.
Protein is important but no fountain of youth, no fixer-upper. Eating more protein does not make you muscular. Yes, you need protein to maintain or gain muscle mass, but there must be a stimulus to gain muscle. Since we tend to gradually lose some muscle as we age, many people do strength training to simply maintain their strength. Competitive athletes often try to gain muscle by very strenuous strength training. Since protein is required to maintain and build muscle, adequate protein consumption is required. Want to maintain your strength? Lift weights. Want to gain muscle? Lift more weight. Simply increasing your protein intake does not make you stronger.
The question that has become increasingly present is the quantity of protein one requires. After many years of careful research, the RDA for protein was 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight a day. Additionally, studies have shown that Americans are consuming their recommended amount and more.
The USDA and the HHS under the leadership of Robert Kennedy, Jr., released the new dietary guidelines for Americans. This year the RDA for protein was announced to be 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day — a jump of 60-100%. Certainly, to make such a recommendation, there must have been careful research. After all, they are recommending the diet for over 300 million people. Nope. The HHS reported no new studies on protein.
Television advertising teems with protein ads and manufacturers stick protein into everything from candy bars to water. Protein powders and drinks are constantly promoted and the internet constantly asks, “Where’s the protein?” Interestingly, the new increased RDA for protein has not been vigorously challenged. One point of argument is that the early recommendation was just the minimum required for health. There are people besides athletes who may need extra protein, such as pregnant women, older individuals who have low calorie diets, and people on GLP-1 medication. If you are into heavy weight training, trying to gain muscle, some extra protein may help, but it is very questionable whether the average exerciser requires extra protein.
Internet influencers, as well as certain members of our federal government, float the idea that eating red meat makes one more masculine, muscular, manly, tougher. While it is well known that foods like fish, chicken, nuts, beans, and dairy are excellent providers of protein, red meat is the answer for this group. Their surf and turf dinner is a ribeye steak and a T-bone. No soyboys allowed.
It seems we often shift from one extreme to another in our society. In the late 1950s and 60s, fat was primeval. Manufacturers seemed to even make low-fat fats. The Atkins diet came along and carbohydrates became toxic. Protein has never been vilified like carbs and fat. One extreme is the adoption of a paleo diet by some, eating red meat as if they had hunted. But they forgot that paleo man hunted and gathered and was lucky to live to 50. Today, many still eschew carbohydrates, forgetting that fruits and vegetables provide significant nutrition and fiber. Without carbs, fats cannot be metabolized normally, producing ketones instead. Somehow, ketones became revered. Unknowingly by most, while ketones are excellent aerobic fuels, they rob one of anaerobic power. Intense workouts and performance become more difficult.
Science has not clarified the protein question. Certainly, we need it, but we also need quality protein, plus carbohydrates and fats. Eating a balanced diet with a variety of foods that are rich in proteins is one answer to this quandary.
Jim Johnson is a retired professor of exercise and sport science after teaching 52 years at Smith College and Washington University in St. Louis. He comments about sport, exercise, and sports medicine. He can be reached at jjohnson@smith.edu.