- Repair and rebuild muscle: after running, our bodies need to fix muscle tears and rebuild the muscles to be stronger, and protein allows our bodies to properly recover. This means that muscle soreness reduces and we can get out on our next run (1).
- Muscle growth: protein is essential for muscle growth. Studies have found that protein intake leads to greater gains in lean body mass, every runner’s goal as it contributes to speed and agility performance and boosts our metabolic rate (2)! Plant-based protein powder, such as pea and soy protein, has been found to be as effective as whey protein when it comes to muscle growth and strength development (2, 3, 4).
- Health benefits: protein is critical for maintaining an extraordinary number of bodily and cellular functions, it if vital for life! Plant sources of protein have been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (5). Replacing animal proteins with plant protein sources increases fibre intake and improves the quality of dietary fat (6).
- Added nutrition: useful for vegetarians and vegans to meet their daily protein requirement. Plant-based protein products contain a wide range of nutrients, for example, pea-based protein products are a source of calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc (7).
- Convenience: it can be difficult to consume the right amount of protein each day, so a protein shake is an easy option. Protein powders are portable and useful when in situations where food availability is limited. Also, it can be challenging to consume food after a run, so liquid nutrition is a good solution.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5477153/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25628520/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6358922/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7312446/
- https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/6/6/712/4555152
- https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/4/943/htm
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157521005329
