How Much Protein Do Runners REALLY Need? (It's Less Than You Think)

If you’re a runner, it’s more than likely you’re eating more protein than you actually need.

And the reason you think you need as much protein as you’re eating is? Marketing.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at the Running Show in Birmingham.

It’s a huge running expo with loads of companies showcasing their wares, celeb runners talking about their experiences, and lots of interactive fun.

But even though it was well-organised and the talks were great, the sheer number of running products really shocked me.

It was overwhelming to realise how commercialised running has become—how many unnecessary products are being sold, and how much money must be made from stuff that doesn’t really need to exist.

And nowhere is that clearer than with protein products.

Everything seems to have added protein in it now: high-protein milk, high-protein cheese; protein ice cream.

And now… this. Pro Brew protein instant coffee.

No shade to this particular product — because the people behind it were actually sound — but it was instant coffee powder with 8g of protein. (I even saw another brand with 20g of protein.)

Two coffee brands competing on protein content. It’s mad.

But why is it mad, you're surely asking?

Because runners do not need 8g of protein with their coffee. The notion is absurd.

How much protein do runners really need?

Let me say it clear right at the top: runners barely need more protein than the average person.

There are really only a handful of situations where a runner might actually need more protein than the average person.

If you’re cutting calories to try and lose weight, you want extra protein to preserve muscle mass.

And maybe if you’re doing heavy weightlifting, sure.

But aside from that? These products are unnecessary. Runners just don’t need this stuff.

This might surprise some people, but runners only need around 1.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight. (Maybe 1.3g if you’re vegan. But that’s still not much).

I weigh 76kg, which means I only need about 91g of protein per day. That’s not a lot.

I hit that every day just by eating enough food.

Most foods contain at least some protein. Veggies, grains, bread, legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy, fish—all of it contains protein. You don’t have to think about protein at all if you’re eating a varied, healthy diet.

Obviously, if you’re eating nothing but cheesecake for every meal, you probably won't get enough protein. Sugar doesn’t contain any protein, for example.

Then again, if you're eating like that, you've got bigger problems than protein. You need to clean up your diet first, then optimise it.

But if you’re eating whole foods—veggies, grains, pulses, etc.—you’re probably already hitting your protein needs without realising.

Just as an example, I asked ChatGPT to generate a typical day of eating for me. Nothing fancy, nothing focused on high-protein foods. And guess what? I still hit my protein target—without even trying. I’m pescatarian, so there’s no meat in there, but if I wanted more protein, I could throw in some chicken, tofu, tempeh, whatever.

This is literally me not making any conscious effort to add protein.

And here’s the thing—too much protein can actually be harmful.

Excess protein gets converted to glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis.

It’s a process that puts strain on the kidneys—not something you want to be doing constantly. You’re placing unnecessary stress on your organs by overeating protein.

So to summarise, you do not need to worry about protein at all if you're:

• not trying to lose weight

• eating a varied, whole-foods diet

Elites don't eat more protein

“But what if I’m doing loads of running?” you might ask. If I run 100+ miles a week, do I need more protein then?

Well, yes. Simply put, the more you run, the more protein you need.

When you run, you're breaking down more muscle. The more you run, the more you break muscle down.

But when you run more, you need more calories in general. So you’re also eating more food to compensate for the extra mileage.

Therefore as your calorie needs scale up, your protein intake naturally increases too. You don’t need to think about it. Just eat enough food, and make sure it’s varied.

I honestly can’t think of many situations where you’d need to supplement protein—unless your diet is just completely awful. Like, if you’re eating junk 24/7, then yeah, you won’t just be protein-deficient—you’ll be missing out on loads of other essential nutrients too.

And if that’s the case? Protein supplements won’t fix it. You’ve got a much bigger issue. You need to clean up your diet first. Worry about optimising your protein after you’ve got the basics sorted.

If there’s one takeaway from this post, it’s this:

You don’t need to optimise your protein. If you eat the right foods, the right amount of calories, and a varied diet—it’ll take care of itself.

And these protein products? They’re expensive. This is what bugs me. It’s all marketing. I’m not calling it a scam... but it's mis-leading at best.

These companies have put a huge amount of effort into convincing us we need more protein—so they can sell us £3 protein bars with 20g of protein that we didn’t even need.

And the number of companies selling these products is increasing all the time. Of course they’re going to push the message that you need more protein—it’s in their interest.

Rant over. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. I’m sure some people are going to disagree. It’s a polarising topic—mainly because we’ve been so influenced by marketing over the years.