Nearly every article about nutrition for rugby will discuss the vast quantities of protein required by rugby players in order to build lean muscle as part of their rugby training, but exactly how much to consume is not always clear.
Scientists have demonstrated that a player needs around 1.9g of protein per kg of body weight to increase muscle mass, and up to 1.5g protein per kg simply to maintain existing muscle.
So if you are a back row forward weighing in at 100kg, you’ll need 190g of protein every single day to increase muscle. To put that in context, 190g of protein could be made up of nearly 1kg of chicken or fish, 800g of cheese, 38 eggs or nearly 6 litres of milk.
It is indeed a lot of food, but that isn’t the whole story. Many of these foods also have a high fat content – cheese for example is around 30% fat, so if you eat 800g of it, you’ll be consuming too much fat.
So this is why rugby players use protein supplements to increase their protein intake whilst controlling the amount of fat in their diet. Have a look at Sci-Mentor’s Premium Whey Protein to find out more about how supplements can help you achieve your goals.
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