Most endurance runners spend a lot of time thinking about carbs. Pre-race meals and long-run fuelling strategies (and refuelling strategies) are often planned around getting enough carbs to support effective training and avoid hitting that dreaded glycogen-depletion wall.
While we know protein is also important, it’s easy to put it on the back burner, especially with the recent focus on high-carb fueling strategies. New research suggests endurance athletes may want to pay closer attention to protein intake not only in general, but especially on their rest days. As reported in Men’s Health, a recent review suggests that protein needs may actually be higher on recovery days than on workout days themselves.
Recovery days might have the highest needs
The review looked at more than a decade of research on endurance athletes and protein intake, paying particular attention to what happens in the days after hard training. They determined that while most endurance athletes should aim for roughly 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily (the generally agreed-upon standard), during recovery days or periods, needs could climb above 2.0 g/kg.
For a 75-kilogram runner, that works out to 150 grams of protein over a day. A single serving of roughly 20 grams of protein could come from three eggs, a small chicken breast, a can of tuna or about 1.5 cups of Greek yogurt. If you are a person who does low-carb training, these numbers get even higher, since your body may be using protein fuel as well as post-run repair.
The long run lingers
We know that the recovery process doesn’t stop shortly after you finish a run, or even after a good night of sleep. Muscle repair and adaptation continue well into the next day, particularly after big workouts, races or during heavier training blocks. While your long run may end Sunday morning, your recovery nutrition probably should not.