Of the most common subjects raised by athletes seeking the advice of John Pryor, strength training nutrition and supplementation is easily among the most frequently misunderstood. This is due to the fact that, according to John Pryor, rugby athletes as well as competitors in other sports tend to believe that going beyond what is recommended will lead to even greater fitness gains. This is especially the case when it comes to protein consumption, which is indeed a critical component when it comes to nutrition but is almost always the most likely to be consumed in far greater amounts than is necessary.

Part of the reason for this is nothing more than the result of effective marketing campaigns in which athletes are repeatedly warned that not consuming enough protein will minimize the fitness gains made through a training program. This is true to an extent, but the amount of protein recommended is often far too much to be truly beneficial, and it is certainly not the case that more protein results in greater fitness gains. Instead, an athlete should consider the volume and intensity included in their training program as well as their current body weight when determining the optimal level of protein consumption.

Of course, optimal protein consumption will vary from athlete to athlete, and that is the way it should be. As a general rule, an elite athlete who is in the midst of an intense training program likely requires somewhere in the range of 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Obviously, this is far less than many athletes have come to believe is necessary, but a greater focus on optimal protein consumption will be much more likely to yield greater fitness gains through training.