How much protein do young athletes need to eat?

The amount of protein that youth athletes need consume on a daily basis is dependent on a number of factors that will vary from athlete to athlete; including age, gender and body weight.

Its estimated young athletes will need slightly more protein in their diet than less active children of the same age. Although, there are no set recommendations for nutritional requirements.

More active children aged between 13-18 years will need 1.2g -1.4g of protein per kg of body weight, compared to non-athletic children who need between 0.85g - 1g of protein per kg of body weight ^[1,2].

This allows the body to rebuild, repair and grow in response to the sport they do, as well as ensuring they meet their bodies demand for natural growth and development.

To work out how much protein we would recommend you will need, whether you're a young athlete or less active, try using our protein intake calculators below which is provided as an estimated guide only.

We recommend that a youth athletes diet should include protein from multiple different food sources, spread evenly throughout the day as part of a wholesome varied diet. You can use the PRO-TEEN® scoop measurements below to work out how much powder you will need in each shake.

To discover the best food sources of protein, when is best to consume protein and more, make sure you give our essential guide on protein for youth athletes a read.

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 References:

1. Boisseau, N., Vermorel, M., Rance, M., Duché, P. and Patureau-Mirand, P. (2007). Protein requirements in male adolescent soccer players. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 100(1), pp.27-33.

2. Bean, A. (2013). Anita Bean's Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.