You’d have a hard time finding any serious endurance athlete in 2025 who thinks protein doesn’t matter. Gone are the carb-centric days of pasta and Gatorade and nothing else. But figuring out how much protein runners, cyclists, and other endurance junkies actually need—and when they need it—remains a work in progress.
I’ve grappled with these questions a few times recently—in a piece busting some common protein myths, and in another discussing the idea of maximum protein intake. But now a new review paper in Sports Medicine, from a research team led by Oliver Witard of King’s College London, offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge. Witard and his colleagues focus on two key questions. First, how much protein do endurance athletes need on a daily basis to stay healthy and optimize long-term training adaptations? And second, what role can the tactical use of protein play in speeding up short-term recovery and boosting performance?
Protein for the Long Term
Government guidelines currently recommend getting at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight…
