Q: I’ve taken up running and signed up for a half-marathon to keep me motivated. I know training puts a lot of wear and tear on the body, and I’ve heard protein is essential. How do I make sure I’m getting enough protein so I can perform at maximum ability?

A: As you prepare for your upcoming distance race — or any other athletic event — you may be looking for ways to fine-tune your training program and up your performance. Nutrition is such an important component of training, so it is a great idea to review what you’re eating to maximize your efforts.

Contrary to the hype that everyone needs more protein, most people in the U.S. meet or exceed their needs. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-25 indicate that 19- to 59-year-old men exceed their protein recommendations, especially from meat, poultry and eggs. Even athletes often get more protein than they need without supplements because their calorie requirements are higher. With more food comes more protein. However, being mindful of the type of protein is important. So, too, is knowing how much protein you actually need.

The healthiest protein options are plant sources, such as soy, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils. But lean meats, such as skinless, white-meat chicken or turkey; a variety of fish or seafood; egg whites; and low-fat dairy are excellent protein sources.

It is better to meet dietary protein needs with whole foods like these rather than with the use of supplements. Manufactured supplements are no more effective in building lean muscle mass than whole foods, as long as you’re eating enough whole foods each day. Supplements also don’t contain the additional nutrients you get from whole foods.

The body can’t store protein, so once your needs are met, any extra is used for energy or stored as fat. Excess calories from any source will be stored as fat in the body.

Extra protein intake also can lead to elevated blood lipids and heart disease because many high-protein foods you eat are high in total and saturated fat. It also can tax the kidneys.

Anywhere from 10% to 35% of your calories should come from protein. So, if your needs are 2,000 calories, that’s 200 to 700 calories from protein, or 50 to 175 grams. Excessive protein intake would be more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight each day.

On average, people get most of their protein during evening meals and the least at breakfast. Some newer studies show that moving some protein from supper to breakfast can help with weight management by decreasing hunger and cravings throughout the day. More research is needed before these claims can be verified.

General recommendations are to consume 15 to 30 grams of protein at each meal. Studies show that higher intakes — more than 40 grams — in one sitting are no more beneficial than the recommended 15 to 30 grams at one time.

Protein shouldn’t be the entire meal but should be paired with fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If you think you need more protein, consider adding more beans, lentils, soy or seafood. If you choose to use a protein supplement, here’s what to look for:

Complete protein source — whey, casein, soy, among others

About 200 or fewer calories

2 grams or less of saturated fat

No trans fat or partially hydrogenated oils

5 grams of sugar or less

Need additional advice and recommendations for building a nutrition plan to support your training program? Consider consulting with a dietitian. — Joel Hollow, R.D.N., Clinical Nutrition, Mayo Clinic Health System, La Crosse, Wisconsin

Mayo Clinic Q&A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. Email a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu.