How much protein do you need? Nutrition experts say there's a sweet spot

Chicken wasn't the only thing grilled at a recent nutrition conference. Doctors, dietitians, and researchers had very pointed questions about the hot topic. Alexandr Kolesnikov/Getty Images Protein is a hot topic in nutrition for building muscle, burning fat, and boosting longevity. Not even top experts agree on how much is too much, or what the risks might be of overdoing it. But we do know a few key takeaways for making gains now, like the "sweet spot" for eating enough. Protein may feel like a done deal, our culture's hottest nutrient. But health professionals are still hotly debating it. At one of the biggest nutrition conferences , hundreds of doctors, dietitians, and researchers packed massive ballrooms to discuss (and sometimes outright argue over) how much protein we actually need and whether the trend has gone too far. "We have protein everywhere.