Q.Discuss the importance of Protein in regard to sportsperson.

Exercise and training increase muscle bulk and also break down muscle tissue, and during prolonged exercise protein itself gets oxidised for energy — both reasons athletes need more protein than a sedentary person.

ICMR (1985) recommends athletes take 12-14% of their total caloric intake as protein, within a range of 1 g/kg to 2 g/kg of body weight — the lower end for endurance sports and light-weight-category sports, the upper end for strength sports (this is the same reasoning a weightlifter's diet needs to lean heavily on protein: building and repairing a large amount of muscle tissue demands it).

Importantly, a well-balanced diet providing enough calories USUALLY already supplies adequate protein — additional supplementation is not automatically necessary. What matters is protein QUALITY: low-fat, good-quality sources (skim milk, egg white, fish, chicken) and cereal-pulse combinations (which fix each other's missing essential amino acid) are preferred over simply eating more protein.

Protein and amino-acid supplements are popular, but excess intake beyond twice the recommended amount (>2 g/kg body weight) carries real health risks: increased risk of renal (kidney) degeneration and bone porosity, a dehydrated state (because higher urea production draws more water into urine), and urinary calcium loss — a particular long-term concern for women athletes.