Glucose VS. Protein

Just wondering which supplement people prefer for training. I'm actually a rower and i find glucose drinks far more beneficial than protein drinks. It gives me more energy to do endurance sessions/weights and i think this is relative in the cycling world as well. Yet many of my crewmates still stick by the protein drinks. I think they just believe the hype that it really helps muscle growth, or am i wrong?
Anyone scientifically know which supplement/drink would be more beneficial for a rower/cyclist.

Fantastic forum btw!

Protien is only good for mucsle maintance and repair, stick with your drink of glucose.

prior to, during, and post exercise, it's the consumption of carbohydrates that are critical, in either fuelling the body or allowing recovery. while some protein may be of benefit post exercise, the amount required is very small (e.g., ~ 10 g), whereas carbohydrate requirements are likely to ten times higher.

protein supplements aren't required assuming you maintain your weight and eat a normal mixed diet (including a vegetarian one).

having a protein drink is most likely to result in expensive urine, and possible kidney damage.

ric

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Carbohydrate is what you need for energy, and almost everybody gets all the protein they need and more from a decent diet.

But there have been indications that a carbohydrate drink, with a small percentage of protein in it as well, is absorbed by the gut faster, may reduce muscle soreness, and may speed up recovery.

Accellerade is one drink that uses a 4 to 1 mix of carbs and protein, and there are others as well.

But defninitely, the carbohydrate is what you need for glycogen replacement, and the sooner after exercising the better (and of course, while you are exercising too.)




Whit

I myself think the protien added to some sports drink is a sales tactic. i used Accellerade and for me it didn't work well compared to a 6% soultion of just carbs and electrolytes.plus Accellerade and any other sports drink with protien is very very nasty when it gets warm.

And the evidence for this is?

Opps. apologies, that should have read excessive protein intake - not protein drink.

ric

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there isn't any proper evidence for this 4:1 ratio. IIRC, the 'study' has never been peer reviewed or that there was some methodological errors.

ric

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I'm a little leery of studies that products tout myself. Like the ones Endurox shows here as well as others.

But there are a lot of coaches, organizations, and athletes that feel the info is solid enough to warrant a little protein with their carb drinks, and in fact the addition of a small amount of protein- and of course it does not have to be 4:1, like you said- seems to have no other side effects, so I thought I would just include that in the conversation here.

Whit

post exercise when you eat some sort of high carbohydrate meal to replenish your glycogen stores, would almost certainly contain some small amount of protein (e.g., ~ 10g which is all that is needed). you'd have to something weird for it to not have any protein. even if you just had a bowl of pasta there'd be sufficient protein in that (from memory).

ric

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I still cannot get over how some cyclists are leery of extra protein for recovery?!?! If you are exerting yourself that much, your body needs the extra protein.

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Protein Sports Drink May Boost Endurance
URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/n...ory_19086.html (*this news item will not be available after 08/20/2004)


Wednesday, July 21, 2004


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A sports drink with a shot of protein may give endurance athletes some extra juice, new research suggests.

The study of 15 male cyclists found that a sports drink containing carbohydrates and protein appeared to boost endurance better than a traditional carb-only sports drink. It also seemed to lessen the muscle wear-and-tear that comes with intense exercise.

While water may be enough for the average moderate exerciser, it's thought that sports drinks, with their added carbohydrates and electrolytes, may be the better choice during long workouts. The idea of adding protein to the mix is that it may further stretch an athlete's endurance, and possibly aid in repairing the muscle damage that occurs during grueling exercise.

The new study compared Accelerade, a brand of sports drink with a dose of whey protein, with the carb-only standby Gatorade. It found that trained cyclists pedaled further when they refueled with the protein-fortified beverage.

The findings suggest that for endurance athletes, a protein-containing sports drink may be the way to go, lead study author Dr. Michael J. Saunders said in a statement.

Athletes in sports where "endurance and recovery are critical," such as running, cycling and tennis, could benefit, according to Saunders, who directs the Human Performance Lab at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The university's School of Kinesiology and Recreation Studies funded the study, which is published in the July issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Saunders and his colleagues tested the sports drinks by having trained cyclists pedal a stationary bike to the point of exhaustion while replenishing with either the protein-added or carb-only drink every 15 minutes. The athletes performed a second, more demanding ride the next day. One to two weeks later, they went through the process again, this time with the other drink.

Saunders' team found that the men lasted 29 percent longer during the first test and 40 percent longer during the second test when they drank the protein-containing drink.

There were also signs of less exercise-induced muscle damage, according to the researchers. After the exercise tests, the cyclists' blood levels of creatine phosphokinase -- an enzyme released from muscles under stress -- were lower when they consumed protein during the workout.

It's "plausible," Saunders and his colleagues note in the report, that the drink aided protein synthesis and repair of muscle fibers.

However, they also point out that the extra calories in the protein-added beverage may have contributed to the performance benefits. They say more research is needed to see whether "specific protein-mediated mechanisms" should get the credit.

Saunders, himself a competitive endurance athlete, told Reuters Health he now drinks sports drinks with protein while exercising. "And that's probably the strongest recommendation I can give," he said.

The fact that adding protein to a sports drink appears to protect people from muscle damage suggests that they may feel less sore after a heavy workout, and get more enjoyment out of exercise as a result. "The day-to-day grind of training simply becomes easier," he said.

Saunders added that none of the researchers involved in the study have any relationship to PacificHealth Laboratories, Inc., the maker of Accelerade.

SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, July 2004.


Copyright 2003 Reuters. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Reuters. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters, the Reuters Dotted Logo and the Sphere Logo are registered trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

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the extra protein that you *do* need, is available from your normal diet that has to increase to match your energy output (else you'd loose weight).

ric

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http://www.cyclecoach.com

[QUOTE=Cowboyathlete]I still cannot get over how some cyclists are leery of extra protein for recovery?!?!


Well get over it

There's no doubt that all but the most extreme exercisers, or those who have a very poor diet, get enough protein to meet their body's requirement.

USRDA is .363g, I believe, per pound per day, so about 54 grams for a 150 lb. person. Heavy exercisers can increase their needs, by most accounts from 20 to 100%. That is still not a lot, and the average american, I have read, gets about 100g a day normally.

What I take these studies to mean is that a small amount of protein added to a carb solution taken in during the session seems to act as an agent, speeding absorption by the gut and replenishment of muscle glycogen.

Keeping a generally higher level of glycogen in the muscles would, one would think, extend your normal time to exhaustion, and if not taken to exhaustion in a particular ride, would leave you with more glycogen in your muscles, and a shorter time to full glycogen replenishment.

Also as shown above in the article, I have seen that and another that stated there were reduced levels of CPK found after exercise, and apparently less damage to muscle tissue.

We do know that protein is used by the body to repair muscle damage and maintain cell structure. We also know that in low-carb states, like endurance exercises, protein is catabolized to provide energy, so these claims do not seem too far removed from what we already know about protein.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Of all the hype and hooey and flat out lies out there about performance enhancing substances, this is one of the few that I think might have some merit. And even if it doesn't, at least it isn't going to have any nasty side effects that anyone knows of, aside from sending a tiny little bit more to the fat lockers!


Whit