Home
>
Nutrition
>
Protein and Endurance Sports

Protein and Endurance Sports

Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a low key, setting a steady rhythm and culminate into a crescendo that enthralls the spectator and the athlete. And not unlike an orchestra, endurance demands a flawless performance from every organ, testing the limits of their resilience. As each system, conducted by the human will, endures a pace bordering on fatigue, the athlete begins to hear music from the heart. What's often neglected, and considered unnecessary, in endurance sports is a high-protein diet that can expand the aerobic capacity and power the performance.

To sustain effort and delay fatigue, the body needs an adequate supply of oxygen and fuel without accumulating waste products, acids or heat. Greater the intensity of the workout, greater is the efficiency required. The capacity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the fuel stores in the muscle, the hepatic and renal support systems must all expand exponentially to perform in endurance sports. If any of these prerequisites are not met, the internal milieu becomes uncomfortable. Metabolism slows down, to allow excretion of wastes, acids and heat, as fatigue sets in. The aerobic stress of endurance sports provides the necessary stimulus for growth and development. The body is ready to build. All that is needed are the building blocks-the Proteins.

Given an adequate and appropriate supply of proteins, the body remains in a state of positive nitrogen balance. Sufficient protein consumption, along with a high-energy diet also influences the carbohydrate and fat metabolism. In the well-fed state, with sufficient physical activity, dietary proteins stimulate the simultaneous release of the growth hormone and insulin. The combined hormonal influence redirects dietary carbohydrate and fat to the aerobic muscle fibers where they are stored as fuels for exhausting workouts. The consequent increase in muscle stores of glycogen and lipid allows sustained activity for a longer time. With enough proteins, the lean body mass, stamina and performance increase throughout the training program.

Proteins and amino acids also directly supply between 1 to 6 % of the energy needs during a workout. The proportion of energy derived from proteins increases with the intensity of the exercise. Given their role in bodybuilding, proteins are too important to be used as fuel and attempts should be made to minimize this percentage. Studies by Bowtell and Tarnopolsky, report that a high-energy (carbohydrate) diet, when combined with an ample protein intake and hydration, has a protein sparing effect under aerobic conditions. However, when the protein intake is inadequate, the high-energy diet fails to protect proteins from being used up as fuel. Therefore, endurance athletes need to ensure high levels of protein intake not only to supply amino acids for growth, but also to make sure that the amino acids don't get burnt up as fuel.

Endurance athletes need proteins but do they need protein supplements? The answer, till recently, was negative for recreational and modest athletes. Protein supplements were advised only for professional athletes and for sportspersons with a diet deficient in proteins. However, these recommendations, based on a parameter called 'nitrogen balance', have often been questioned. Young and Bier propose that there exists a subtle state of protein deficiency, called the 'accommodative' state, where an inadequate protein intake is masked by the breakdown of body proteins. Measurements based on nitrogen balance do not take the accommodative state into account and are therefore are not accurate enough to calculate protein requirements. Mark Tarnopolsky, in a recent review on Protein Requirements in Endurance Athletes, also raises similar questions.

Epidemiological studies, by McKenzie and others, also suggest that the dietary protein intake of up to 20% of athletes may be below levels recommended for sedentary individuals. Then there is always the ambiguous quality and absorbability of a dietary protein. Just eating proteins in diet does not ensure that they will provide all the essential amino acids in adequate quantities. Given the vital role that proteins play in the metabolic and physiological response to aerobic stresses of endurance sports, and the uncertainties regarding dietary protein intake, a protein supplement like Profect?, can go a long way in improving performance.

Adequate training and a Profect diet will take endurance to its limits, to levels where aerobic metabolism stimulates the release of enkephalins, the human equivalent of opium. These enkephalins produce the natural high that is often referred to as the 'flow'. As long as metabolism remains aerobic, the mind is flooded with enkephalins and the systems function in harmony. In 'flow' capacity seems endless and fatigue non-existent. Profect, the perfect protein supplement can do that for you.

About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at www.protica.com. You can also learn about Profect at www.profect.com.

References

1. Tarnopolsky M.:Protein Requirements for Endurance Athletes Nutrition 200420:662? 668.

2. McKenzie S, Phillips SM, Carter SL, Lowther S, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA:Endurance exercise training attenuates leucine oxidation and BCOAD activation during exercise in humans. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2000278:E580

3.Bowtell JL, Leese GP, Smith K, et al. Effect of oral glucose on leucine turnover in human subjects at rest and during exercise at two levels of dietary protein.J Physiol 2000525(pt 1):271

4. Young VR, Bier DM, Pellett PL. A theoretical basis for increasing current estimates of the amino acid requirements in adult man, with experimental support. Am J Clin Nutr 198950:80

disinfecting cleaning services Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.