Q.Range of protein intake is a. 5g/kg body weight to 1 g/kg body weight b. 1g/kg body weight to 2 g/kg body weight c. 2g/kg body weight to 3 g/kg body weight d. 3g/kg body weight to 4 g/kg body weight

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.