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T'ai Erasmus

Protein Performance for Endurance Athletes


Precise nutrition can be the difference between success and failure for endurance athletes. For this reason, it's important for every athlete to study his or her body as a means of determining optimum nutrition, including which performance health supplements provide the best value as well as timing of ingestion.


During endurance exercise, the faces a variety of circumstances including disturbances to cellular homeostasis.

When it comes to endurance training and competition, the type of fuel consumed, including protein, can greatly impact performance.


Recent studies have shown whey protein, compared with other protein sources, is more effective at improving efficiency of protein synthesis following exercise. This has led to a growing number of athletes, especially those in endurance sports, relying on whey protein.


Often, athletes are unaware that the type of exercise greatly influences muscle adaptions, with endurance workouts resulting in increased muscle oxidative capacity.


A recent study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition examined why whey protein is known to improve resistance training adaptions. Additionally, due to limited amounts of research regarding the impact of WPI plus carbohydrate, this food supplement was included in the study.


The goal of the study was to establish an observation of two weeks of co-ingestion, which included whey protein and ample carbohydrate, to better understand the overall effect on endurance performance as well as subsequent recovery.


According to the study, resting muscle glycogen levels after the study were comparable to previous protocols. Additionally, adding whey protein isolate did not "increase resting muscle glycogen levels when adequate CHO (8 g. kg-1. bw/day) is consumed on a daily basis, followed by CHO loading prior to competition.


The ingestion of protein is most definitely important to the overall performance and recovery of endurance athletes. With studies such as these, more information will continue to become available with the combination of nutrients that result in the best performance and recovery.


Best of Fitness!

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