Athletes and Protein Requirements

Liz is a 20-year-old female who is 5' 2" tall and weighs 103 pounds. She is following her dream of becoming a professional dancer, which means she has a very active activity level. She knows she is not overweight by health charts, but she cannot help comparing herself to the other dancers who all seem leaner. Her friend Sylvie has been successful in losing weight and gaining muscle while following a high protein diet. Liz decides to try it.

Larry is a 30-year-old male who is 5' 10" tall and weighs 185 pounds. He is a stock trader by day and a competitive body builder by night. He recently had his body fat tested and the results showed 8% body fat. His coach would like him to lower his body fat to 5%. He has read in muscle magazines that if he wants to build more muscle and cut his body fat he should eat a high protein diet.

Discuss the following:

What are the protein requirements for Liz and Larry based upon the information provided and their athletic status?

What are the pros/cons of a high protein diet for athletes?

What advice would you give to Liz and Larry on whether they should follow a high protein diet? What scientific evidence would you provide to justify your opinions?

What would you recommend for carbohydrate and protein needs of an athlete such as Liz and Larry?

How might these recommendations change based upon age, gender, and body weight? Explain your answer.

Write and submit a short paper to address the Seminar questions. Your response should be a minimum of 400 words in length and must be completed by the deadline for the unit.