Suggested Daily Protein Intake

So we know we're supposed to take in more protein than the average American diet, but how much? I don't know about you, but I need some guidelines so I know I'm not over or under doing it. I found this table in Paleo Diet for Athletes regarding the Suggested Daily Protein Intake per Pound of Body Weight. The suggested protein intakes are directly related to Training Volume (hours/week):

Traning Volume (hours/week) Protein (g/lb/day)

<5 0.6-0.7

5-10 0.7-0.8

10-15 0.8-0.9

15-20 0.9-1

>20 1.0

I know everyone can do math, but to simplify. If an athlete weighs 100#'s and works out 5-10 hours/week then he/she must consume 70-80 grams of protein per day. Where do you fit in?

Another aspect to consider is where your calories come from. Table 1.2 in Paleo Diet for Athletes shows us that ~38% of our calories come from Proteins, ~23% from Carbohydrates and ~39% from fat. This seems a lot different than what we've learned from traditional nutrition.

I would encourage you to find a copy of Paleo Diet for Athletes or the earlier version Paleo Diet. It has a lot of great applicable info as well as recipes.

Post thoughts and experiences to comments.

Thanks,

Jason