Make no mistake: Consumers are interested in protein right now — very interested, almost to the point of infatuation. But bakers need to exercise balance when marketing to this desire.

Higher protein may be suitable for light- to moderate-intensity exercise, but carbs are essential for high-intensity efforts and endurance sports, said Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., director, Healthy Lifestyles Research Center, and professor, Arizona State University, a leading nutrition and exercise researcher. Dr. Gaesser is a spokesman for the Grain Foods Foundation.

“In fact, high-protein diets have been shown to impair high-intensity exercise performance due to excessive acid build-up in the blood, which reduces exercise tolerance,” he added.

Balance is essential.

“The protein efficiency ratio (PER) is less for grain products compared to protein-rich sources such as dairy and most meat products,” Dr. Gaesser said. “However, if a person consumes a balanced, mixed diet that includes sufficient quantities of protein-rich foods (dairy, eggs and meat), the PER of an individual food, or food group, is not that important.