calories, protein and performance

there seems to be so much debate on other boards on how much protein/calories athletes should take in to maximize performance and results.

I mean most people say that you need to take in a large excess of calories and protein if your lifting heavy and sprinting, but others say that you need no more than 0.8g of protein/lbs and caloric restriction is benficial for gaining relative strength.

I’m reluctant to take in more than 0.8g/protein because that is already alot more than the reccomended protein intake given by nutritional experts. Also i have yet to find one study investigating the long-term effects of higher protein consumption.

So i was wondering what you think about how much protein and calories should be taken in by someone who lifts heavy and sprints.

That’s because there are no set percentages that work for everyone.

What do the nutritional experts know or better yet what affects their public opinions? The current nutritional recommendations are one of the reasons behind the large behinds of people of today so to speak. How about all the pre-agricultural people for a study of long-term effects of higher protein consumption? Studies show that on average 55 percent of their calories came from meat sources. The Inuit people got 97% of their calories from animal foods and lived healthy lives. Protein toxicity is not a danger unless you are eating large amounts of very lean meats (rabbits, squirrels) and no fat or carbohydrates with it. That is why it is called “rabbit starvation”.

If you include lean meats in your meals and supplement that with as many vegetables and fruits as you want (perhaps some nuts) you should be fine without calculating calories.