Animals have a set requirement for the amount of protein they need in their diet, and this relates to a number of factors, most notably the amount of tissue growth and regeneration that is occurring. Exercise is a stress to the body that necessitates the remodeling of skeletal muscle and this is a very energy dependent process. As well as adequate energy in the diet, the body also needs enough protein, and this requirement can be significantly higher than that seen in a sedentary individual. However, it is difficult to state exactly how much protein is required as this will depend on a large number of factors including the biochemical individuality of the person, the type and duration and intensity of exercise undertaken, as well as the quality of the protein. Generally to remodel skeletal muscle, the body prefers to use the branch chained amino acids. Animal proteins containing high amounts of branched chain amino acids, such as whey protein, will therefore allow a more efficient remodeling process. Lower quality proteins that are not complete proteins, such as plant proteins, may be required in higher amounts and may need to be mixed in order to satisfy both the protein requirement and the essential amino acid requirement. Evidence from numerous studies show that high protein diets are not dangerous in any way to healthy humans, and indeed, may actually improve health compared to high carbohydrate diets.
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