Are you getting enough protein?

With all of the recent hype about High Protein diets there doesn't seem to be a source that directly states how much protein a person in supposed to consume in a day. Ask any athlete and they will tell you that protein is one of the most important things you can have in your diet to improve performance and feel better.Not getting enough protein can be dangerous for muscular development but without acknowledge of what "enough" some dieters may become lost confused and may, even if they are on a high protein low calorie diet, be not getting the right amount of protein.

According to Wikipedia a non-athlete should be getting .8-1 gram of protein for every 1kg of body mass. That means a 140 lb person should be taking in 63grams of protein. That is a lot of protein! Elite endurance athletes (marathon runners and triathletes) and athletes who benefit from increased muscle mass (football players and rugby forwards) need up to 1.6 grams of protein or every 1kg of muscle mass. Some sources even recommend from 1.1-1.4 grams of protein for some athletes.

Not having enough protein could cause decreased muscle mass, decreased energy and thus is very harmful for athletes and non athletes alike.

So take the challenge, figure out how much protein you are having in a day. Is it enough? Chances are it won't be.