Eat more Protein
Nutrition is a crucial part of getting race-ready and staying healthy.
Today I’m going to talk specifically about protein and why it is important for endurance athletes to get adequate amounts of protein. Too many endurance athletes (including me) do not get enough protein in their diets and this often results in fatigue and poor race performance.
What is the role of protein in our body?
Protein is required by the body for the growth, maintenance and repair of all cells.
Protein is a major component of all muscles, tissues and organs and is vital for practically every process that occurs within the body such as metabolism, digestion and the transportation of nutrients and oxygen in the blood. One of the most important function of protein is to build up, keep up, and replace the tissues in your body. Your muscles, your organs, and some of your hormones are made up mostly of protein
It is also necessary for the production of antibodies, which fight against infection and illness, and is the main nutrient that keeps our hair shiny and healthy, our nails strong, our skin fresh and glowing and our bones strong and healthy.
Eating more protein
The mantra of many endurance runners is more carbohydrates equal more energy. Yes, this is true, but if you think about carbs providing energy, then what provides the building blocks needed to repair the body after long training runs. As stated above, protein in required for growth, maintenance and repair of muscle tissue and cells.
Far too often protein is overlooked and the body falls into a state where it is constantly breaking down tissue due to lack of protein.
What to do? Well, include more protein in your diet? Ok, that was too easy. (I’ll give specific examples of protein sources later in this post). Simple ways to ensure you are getting enough protein are to include protein at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and post-workout.
What is the best marathon training protein?
There is no magic marathon training protein. Protein is found in nuts, seeds, beans, milk, cheese, egg whites, chicken, fish, beef, and pork, nutrition bars and protein supplements. Other sources of protein: Greek yogurt, milk, tofu, garbanzo beans, lunch meat.
Of course you can always buy a protein powder and make protein shakes with fresh fruit. I personally do not make protein shakes and try to get most of my food in solid form.
I’ve never been much of a protein shake fan and not sure why, just not. Sorry I can’t give any advice on protein powders.
How much protein does a marathon runner need?
In general, endurance athletes need more protein than sedentary people. Some protein ends up getting used for energy at the end of long runs, so more protein overall is needed so there is enough left for repairing muscles and keeping the immune system strong. The good news is that marathoners usually increase their calorie intake during training, so protein automatically increases with more food eaten.
Estimated Protein Needs of Marathon Runners:
- 100 pound marathoner: 60 g protein
- 150 pound marathoner: 90 g protein
- 200 pound marathoner: 118 g protein
- 220+ pound marathoner: 130 g protein
Broken down, your average protein intake per meal should be around 20g. So, for a 20g protein breakfast you could eat the following to reach that mark: 1 egg (6g), 1 cup milk (7g), 1 piece toast with peanut butter (8g).
When is the best time for a marathon runner to eat or drink protein?
Keep in mind that carbohydrates are your main fuel. Protein is for building/repair and only a last resort energy source. Before a run, concentrate on hydration and carbs. If you’re headed out for a long run, you can try adding protein to your carb. Some sports drinks now have protein added. This is your call. If you tolerate it…fine, but what will be available during the marathon? Do you really want to carry your own beverage choice for 26.2 miles? Some gels have protein added. Like anything, train with the drink/gel you’ll be using during the marathon.
The most important time for marathon training protein intake is for recovery after running. Carbs replenish your glycogen stores, whereas protein starts the repair of muscles and production of enzymes that process your fuel.
After you’re a long run or strenuous workout a snack that includes both carbs and protein should be taken within 30 minutes. Personally, I love chocolate milk! Or, cheese with crackers or a peanut butter sandwich. For a short run (3-5miles) or light training session you should focus on hydration, but you can wait until your next meal to get your nutrition
Bottom line: choose a meal with a mix of proteins and carbohydrates
Posted by admin | in Nutrition | 7 Comments
Great post- protein is definitely important! I try to aim for a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein within 15 minutes of my workout. My favorites are the same as yours, chocolate milk or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! I also love lean meats or chicken and things like whole eggs for my sources of protein for the rest of the day, since that is when your body is repairing from the last workout and rebuilding for the next one. Lean red meats and whole eggs include important sources of B-vitamins, amino acids, and Iron so I try to make sure and keep those in my diet as well as lean chicken and fish. Keep it up Jill!
thanks Chuck. I love referring to your blog for quick and easy protein recipes.
Interesting topic for sure. During my marathon training program last year I really tried to eat mostly plant-based nutrition Monday-Friday in an effort to eat-clean and maximize fitness and I think it helped my running. I got lighter and faster. I ate lots of black beans and lentils, peanut-butter and occasional soy-based meat replacers, along with lots of veggies, rice and fruit and I got along fine. I would eat a turkey sandwich or a burger in the evening on weekend long-run days if I craved it, but for the most-part I think minimizing the meat-based protein helped my performance in the end, but who knows for sure. This time around I’m definitely trying to get some recovery protein in me quickly after hard workouts. I don’t take any nutritional supplements, but I am trying to drink half of a store-bought, juice and soy-based protein shake, post-long run stretching and it seems to help speed recovery.
What do you all think about soy as a source of protein? As a male, I try to avoid it and, I could be wrong, I don’t believe its a complete protein source is it? I would say to Kent to definitely include some sorts of meat based protein in your diet per week ir order to get your amino acids and iron. If you aren’t getting it there, make sure to get it from other sources like supplements or whole foods–spinach has a lot of iron…you just need to eat a lot of it!
Chuck & Kent: here is a link to a great article regarding soy:
http://sunwarriorprotein.blogspot.com/2010/04/dangers-of-soy.html
This article is great–thanks Jill!
Thanks for the link. Good article. Color me confused on soy to some extent. There are some studies that show reduced disease risk from moderate consumption, and it can be good for bad cholesterol levels. I think Chuck’s advice to include some lean meat in the meal plan is sound. I try to moderate soy and meat generally and focus on veg and fruit, but this will make me think further about how much and what kind of soy I consume. Ultimately, I suppose we are lucky to be able consider our options in an age when so many lack access to sufficient nutrition.