Influence of High Protein Diets on Muscle Hypertrophy and Exercise Performance

The importance of protein for athletes has been known for years. In fact, protein is one of the most important dietary supplementations prescribed for athletes and active people. Although physical performance mostly depends on physical activity and exercise, dietary intake and especially protein content is also very important. However, there are inconsistencies in protein adequacy and safety. Some investigations have suggested the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein to be sufficient while others have recommended using 2-3 times more than RDA level to prepare adequate amino acids. Furthermore, there is discrepancy in safety of a high protein diet as some believed a high protein diet can lead to kidney dysfunction and bone defect but other studies did not support this idea. This study thus reviewed the literature to evaluate the adequacy and safety of protein intake in athletes.