The Importance of Protein: Part 2
Protein is an essential part of a healthy balanced diet. As athletes, many of us know that we should be consuming higher amounts of protein than the average person. However, it is often understanding why and when we need to consume protein that leaves us confused. OTE Sports are here to help.
WHEN SHOULD PROTEIN BE CONSUMED?
Simply consuming your necessary protein intake for the day is not enough. Research has now eluded to a feeding pattern where athletes should spread their protein consumption evenly throughout the day. This further promotes protein synthesis and optimises muscle repair. Gone are the days where an evening meal is loaded with protein, you should aim to consume 20-25g of protein every 3-4 hours. This should be at meal times, post exercise (more on this later) and for midday snacks.
Whilst you are sleeping your body can also profit from being in a state of rest and use your energy to address the recovery and repair of muscle. However, you need to put the building blocks in for it to do so. Another 20-25g portion of protein before bed can kick start the process while you sleep and has been shown to help optimise an athlete’s recovery. Night time feeding is especially important and beneficial for athletes who are undertaking a heavy training block or competing in a multi-stage event.
OPTIMISING POST WORKOUT RECOVERY
When protein is consumed immediately after exercise (within 30 minutes) it enhances muscle uptake and retention of amino acids. This elicits the much sort after positive nitrogen balance. The increased state of protein metabolism has been found to last up to 24 hours, highlighting the importance of continuing to spread your protein intake through the day.
Research has shown the effect of post-exercise protein intake is best seen when the protein is combined with carbohydrates. Carbohydrate intake stimulates an increase in the hormone insulin, which in turn stimulates the muscle to take up the amino acids. A protein-carbohydrate snack, drink or meal after a workout makes good sense, not only for muscle repair and adaptation to training, but to provide carbohydrate fuel to restore muscle glycogen levels. An OTE Protein Drink is perfect for this as it provides the optimal amount of protein along with 19g of carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. The carbohydrate content of your protein drink can easily be increased by adding a scoop of OTE Carbo Booster. This won’t affect the taste but allows you to tailor your recovery drink and boost your carbohydrate intake post exercise if required to suit your individual needs.
