When it comes to athletes, their needs and requirements are different than individuals that are less active. Those that are dormant and don’t exercise may not need X amount of a certain vitamin or mineral because they don’t exert energy that athletes do, therefore they don’t “burn up” the vitamin and mineral like athletes.

When athletes perform, they use up the resources that their body provides to them at a much quicker rate. Your body doesn’t need a whole lot of energy if you’re typing on the computer all day in an office, but if you’re out climbing a mountain or running a marathon, your body is going to use up more energy and needs it replenished to function properly.

Some recent studies suggest that an average 200-pound athlete should consume anywhere from 120 to 180 grams of protein each day, while a 200-pound office worker can operate fine on about 70 or 90.

In addition to protein, athletes also need more calories than most people. A football player or someone that lifts weights can burn up 4,000 calories a day with ease, as opposed to the 2,000 calories a moderately active person uses by carrying groceries, walking from the parking lot to the office, etc. Fortunately, most athletes that consume 4,000 calories a day are getting 180 grams of protein through just natural sources found in food. However, if you have a diet that is limiting your food intake and you are not consuming enough protein, you definitely need to consider supplementation.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete or not, or whether if you want to gain weight, lose weight, or maintain it, the typical formula is that you should consume 45-65 percent of your calories from complex carbohydrates, with another 20-35 percent coming from fat, and 10-35 from protein.