see specific proteins – we can look at their
structure, and understand how that three-
dimensional shape makes them work.
New lab measurement techniques,
developed in the past decade or so, tell
us that our original estimates of what
constitutes protein intake may be too low.
For example:
• Older people probably need much more
protein than we originally thought,
because of something called ‘anabolic
resistance’, whereby their bodies are
less effective at using the protein they
eat to replenish and rebuild new tissues.
• People who are seriously sick or injured
(for instance, in hospital ICUs) recover
more quickly if given extra protein.
Older estimates of 0.8g per kg of body weight
per day (so, for a 70kg person, that would be
56g of protein per day) are likely too low for
optimal health, repair, and performance.
How much should we eat?
In general, most experts suggest that for
most people, protein should make up about
25-35% of total daily energy intake (calories
or kilojoules). Below 10-15% and we start to
see signs of malnutrition.
In terms of grams, this is closer to 1 to 2g
of protein per kg of body weight per day, or
even higher. For a 70kg person, this means somewhere between 70g
and 140g of protein per day – or more. Importantly, a higher-protein
diet is not necessarily a ‘low-carb’ or ‘high-fat’ diet. The other 75-
65% that isn’t protein can be anything else: plants, higher carbs or
higher fat.
Though some have suggested that high protein is unsafe, the
research doesn’t support this. Some studies have given people up
to 4.4 grams per kg per day for months with no ill effects. For a 70kg
person, this would be 308g daily, equivalent to about 10-12 large
chicken breasts a day.
In fact, studies of high-protein diets have found:
• More protein often means more lean mass, including better
bone density. This is especially important for athletes as well as
older people.
• More protein often means less body fat. People who eat more
protein may stay the same weight, or even gain weight, but lose fat.
NETWORK SPRING 2017 | 25