Too much protein??

I dug out my nutrition notes, and here is what I was told from my professor (who has a Ph.D in these matters) --->

Recommendations for Protein Intake
• AMDR: 10 - 35% total energy intake ---> This is the percentage of total kcal that should be protein. For comparison, Fats should be 20 - 35% and Carbs should be 40 - 65%
• ages 19 - 70 require--> 0.8 g/Kg/day

Protein
• North Americans tend to eat more protein than physiologically necessary (> 0.8g/kg/day)
• DRI (daily recommended intake): 10 - 35% of kcal

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> quite a bit lower than most people here are recommending, eh?

Do Athletes Need More Protein?? Ch. 14 (pg 470 -472)
• Endurance Athletes: 1.2 - 1.6 g protein/kg/day
• Power Athletes: 1.6- 1.7 g/kg/day -->highest possible requirement

Must also consider extra energy expenditure (and thus extra energy intake of athletes)
• Average individual
○ 60 kg consumes 2000 kcal and 15% kcal from protein
○ 15/100 = 0.15 X/2000 = 300 kcal from protein /4 kcal per gram = 75 k/day --> 1.25 kg/day

○ Athlete
○ 60 kg consuming 3000 kcal/day, 15% from pro, still gets 1.9 g/kg/day

Is Excess Dietary Protein 'Bad'?
• Increased energy (kcal) intake --> weight gain
• High protein foods area also usually high in fat (fat has the highest concentration of kcal/gram; also lots of saturated fats in protein rich food) --> weight gain
• Increases calcium loss through urine (esp. From animal protein!)--> bad for bones; calcium is taken from bones to replace what is lost. Ca loss can become significant over the course of a lifetime.
• Overworked/damage to the kidneys --> in normal individuals (with no kidney disease or diabetes) then there shouldn't be any damage.
• Cancer? No firm evidence that high protein intake contributes to cancer but it will increase your overall kcal intake which is more likely related to cancer ----> Remember that more kcal from protein doesn't always mean more kcal overall if calorie intake from other areas is decreased
• Gout --> N-compounds in blood precipitate out in cooler parts of the body (joints). Usually also related to alcohol.

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Please excuse bad spelling/grammar etc as copied this straight from my notes. Any reference to N or N-compounds refers to the Nitrogen (aka, the amino group for all the chemists out there) which is present in all amino acids. Kcal = calories, no special conversion or anything, scientists just can't keep things simple I am also Canadian and these are based on Canada's food guide. Hopefully this is helpful in some way!!!