Protein for runners: how much you need

Running breaks down muscle a little every time. Protein gives your body the building blocks to repair it and adapt. It also keeps you full, which helps if you are trying to lose weight. Carbohydrate is still your main running fuel, so eat both.

The baseline Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram, or 0.36 grams per pound. Harvard Health describes that as the minimum to avoid deficiency. For active people, the joint position paper from Dietitians of Canada, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine gives 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg a day. The International Society of Sports Nutrition gives 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg.

If you run a few times a week, the lower end is plenty. Aim higher if you train hard most days, are eating less to lose weight, or are older and want to hold on to muscle.

The ISSN suggests about 0.25 grams per kilogram per meal, or 20 to 40 grams, every three to four hours. The joint position paper says about 0.3 g/kg after key sessions and every 3 to 5 hours. For most people that means a solid portion at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and one protein snack.

If most of your protein comes at dinner, moving some of it to breakfast is an easy fix: add eggs, Greek yogurt or milk to the meal you already eat.

Values vary by brand and portion, so check labels. The ISSN suggests focusing on whole foods that contain all the essential amino acids, like dairy, eggs, meat, fish and soy.

• Breakfast: two eggs, toast and a glass of milk (about 20 g).
• Lunch: a tuna sandwich and a 6-ounce Greek yogurt (about 40 g).
• After an evening run: a glass of chocolate milk (about 8 g).
• Dinner: chicken, rice and vegetables (about 30 g).
• Evening snack: half a cup of cottage cheese with fruit (about 12 g).

That is roughly 110 grams, in the middle of the range, with no shake or bar.

• Build meals around tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, beans and soy milk.
• Mix sources over the day, such as beans with rice, or hummus with whole-wheat pita.
• A pea or soy protein powder can help on busy days.
• Plant foods carry more fiber, so keep the high-fiber meals away from the hours just before a run.

Not usually. A shake is handy after a long run when you are not hungry, or when you cannot get to real food. It is no better than milk, yogurt or a sandwich. For daily runs toward ODIN or DRAGON, regular meals with a good protein portion cover your needs. See what to eat after a run.

If you eat dinner late after an evening run, a glass of milk or a yogurt right after the run bridges the gap.

You do not need protein during a run, and a large portion right before one can sit heavy. After the run, a serving of 20 to 30 grams helps repair. If you run in the morning, breakfast is your recovery meal. If you run in the evening, it is dinner. After a long or hard run, eat carbohydrate alongside the protein so you also refill your fuel.

• Protein per bar: 10 to 20 grams is typical. Compare it with an egg sandwich or yogurt.
• Sugar and sugar alcohols: some bars use sugar alcohols that upset the stomach on the run.
• Fiber: high-fiber bars are better after a run than before.
• Calories: some bars have as many as a small meal. Count them if you are trying to lose weight.

A bar is a handy backup in a bag or desk drawer. Most days, a sandwich, yogurt or a glass of milk does the same job for less money.

Harvard Health notes that some studies suggest more protein may help keep muscle mass and strength, and that spreading it over meals may work better than one large portion. That matters more as you get older.

• Is collagen protein a good choice? Collagen lacks some essential amino acids, so it is not a full swap for dairy, eggs, meat, fish or soy.
• Can too much protein hurt? Very high intakes crowd out carbohydrate you need for running. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor about protein.
• Is protein before bed useful? The ISSN says 30 to 40 grams of casein before sleep can increase overnight muscle building. A cup of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt is the food version.
• Do women need different amounts? The ranges per kilogram are the same.
• Do walkers need extra protein? A normal diet with protein at each meal is usually enough.

This is general information for healthy adults. If you have diabetes, heart or kidney disease, are pregnant, or follow a diet set by a doctor, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian first.

• Nutrition and Athletic Performance, joint position of Dietitians of Canada, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine (2016): 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg a day, 0.3 g/kg after exercise and every 3 to 5 hours.
• International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise (2017): 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg a day, 20 to 40 grams per meal, whole foods, protein before sleep.
• Harvard Health, How much protein do you need every day?: the 0.8 g/kg Recommended Dietary Allowance.