Jamar is a 17-year-old high school junior who has a chance of starting as a line

Question

Jamar is a 17-year-old high school junior who has a chance of starting as a linebacker on the football team his senior year. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds. His coach has recommended that he gain 10 to 15 pounds over the next 8 months, but not at the sacrifice of his speed and quickness. Jamar eats home-cooked, well-balanced meals for breakfast and supper. At breakfast, he also drinks a mega-protein supplement that supplies 56 grams of protein. For school, he packs his own lunches, which usually include two tuna or chicken sandwiches with potato chips and milk. He also has a midmorning and mid afternoon snack, which typically consist of a protein bar (24 grams of protein per bar). He works out in the high school weight room two to three times per week in the late afternoon. When he arrives home, he studies until the family eats supper around 7 p.m. His final snack of the day occurs just before bedtime when he consumes a mega-protein supplement that supplies 56 grams of protein.

1. Is Jamar consuming enough dietary protein to achieve his goals?

2. What are the recommended protein intake guidelines for an athlete who wants to gain weight?

3. Is it detrimental to consume too much protein?

Explanation / Answer

1. Yes, Jamar is consuming enough dietary protein. He is consuming on a average of 170 grams of protein in his diet.

2. Endurance athletes who participate in heavy training at high intensities may need even more protein than athletes trying to build muscle. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics estimates that athletes who engage in high-intensity endurance exercise need 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram, or about 0.7 to 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day. This means a 150-pound, high-intensity endurance athlete may need to consume up to 135 grams of protein each day.

3. High intake levels of protein can lead to increased water loss because the body excretes water to dispose of urea, a substance formed in the breakdown of protein. Water loss coupled with the fact that most athletes lose a great amount of water through sweat, which can lead to dehydration if fluid intake is not properly monitored. An excess of purified protein can, however, take calcium away from bones, thus predisposing one for osteoporosis.

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