ABSTRACT

Interest in determining the protein need for physically active individuals from a scientific standpoint has waxed and waned over the years, yet from the point of view of athletes it has remained consistently high. Although the placebo effect is often significant, this discrepancy in thinking is reason enough to investigate why opinions differ so much on what would seem to be a very straightforward question. Likely the controversy stems from the fact that scientists have focused on requirements using laboratory methodology primarily while athletes have always been most interested in performance, i.e., whether they can run faster or jump higher, etc. Consequently, it could be that there is some truth to both viewpoints.