Jun

10

Eating Right for Long Workouts

Filed Under Training 

The New York Times article, Real Thought for Food for Long Workouts, published June 5, 2008, discusses how the body recovers from long workouts. Some interesting points from the article:

  • “During exercise, muscles stop the biochemical reactions used to maintain themselves such as replacing and resynthesizing the proteins needed for day to day activities. It’s not that exercise is damaging your muscles; it’s that they halt the maintenance process until exercise is over.”
  • Muscles don’t need much protein — a 176 pound man would only need about 20 grams after a long workout.
  • Muscles don’t need many carbohydrates either: only about 1 gram for every kilogram of body weight.
  • The two hours after the workout is the best time to replenish protein; the 4 hours after is the best time for carbs.
  • “Although studies by Dr. Jeukendrup and several others have shown that consuming protein after exercise speeds up muscle protein synthesis, no one has shown that that translates into improved performance. The reason, Dr. Jeukendrup said, is that effects on performance, if they occur, won’t happen immediately. They can take 6 to 10 weeks of training. That makes it very hard to design and carry out studies to see if athletes really do improve if they consume protein after they exercise.”

Interesting stuff for those who swear by protein shakes and PowerBars.

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    • Jacob Taylor at the Bob Firman Invitational 2007

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      This is my blog where I write about running, training, races, and anything else running related. Because I run for Mountain View High School I may write about my team and opposing teams in the Treasure Valley. Everything written in this blog is my personal opinion and does not reflect the views of my coaches, my teammates, or my school.