The protein question

Carbs may be fuel for the road, but cyclists shouldn’t underestimate the importance of protein. Here’s why…

What is protein?

Protein is one of four ‘macronutrients’ – the nutrients we need most of, as opposed to ‘micronutrients’ such as vitamins and minerals – along with carbohydrate, fat and water. Both the human body and the food we consume comprise roughly 70% water, which is why hydration is so important, while carbs give us energy and fat provides energy and insulation.

Protein is used to make, build and maintain our muscles. Any form of exercise will cause muscle damage, so protein plays a crucial role in both the recovery and growth of muscle and muscle tissue.

That sounds pretty straightforward. Is that all?

Not quite. ‘There are two elements to the human body: lean body mass, which includes the skeleton, vital organs and muscle mass, and body fat,’ says Dr Adam Carey, nutritionist and founder of health consultancy Corperformance. ‘Of our lean body mass, muscle mass is the only thing we can change over time, and different sports require different body compositions. For cyclists, one of the key determinants of performance is powerto-weight ratio, and optimising your body fat and muscle mass is key to improving.’

‘Protein can also be a fuel source during longer rides, especially when carb stores are low,’ adds sports nutritionist Dr Mayur Ranchordas.

Wait, what? Protein as a fuel source? How do we balance carb and protein intake then?

Carb intake tracks your energy expenditure. The more you train, the more carbs you need, but with protein the variation, while there, is less.

‘On a hard training day I’d aim for a protein intake of 1.7-2g per kilogram of bodyweight,’ says Ranchordas. ‘Keep this the same for the day after because muscle damage is usually high for up to two days after a strenuous workout. On easier or non-training days you can drop your intake to 1.4g/kg.’

Carbohydrate, by contrast, can vary from as little as 2-3g/kg on rest days to 8-10g/kg on your really hard training days, depending on your energy use or weight management goals. ‘Then keep fat constant at around 1-1.5g/kg,’ Ranchordas adds.

Aren’t there different types of protein?

Proteins are made from 22 amino acids, which are assimilated by the body to make and maintain your muscle mass.

‘Your body’s entire muscle mass will turn over in around three months,’ says Carey. ‘If you think of your muscle mass as being like an engine, you get through four new cars a year, and as with cars you can trade up or down on performance. This explains why some people can see a dramatic improvement in fitness in a relatively short space of time.’

Of those 22 amino acids, 14 can be produced by the body while the other eight are known as essential amino acids, and these have to come from outside food sources.

‘Protein can come from both animal and plant sources, but whereas animal proteins contain all eight essential amino acids, plant proteins don’t,’ says Carey. ‘Different plants have different properties so have to be combined in the right way, for example grains and beans or pulses – peas and rice is one popular combination.

‘One downside of animal proteins is that they can contain a lot of saturated fat, whereas plant proteins contain more carbohydrate, so if you’re an endurance athlete it could be worth incorporating more plant proteins into your diet. A fillet steak is 50% fat, which makes it hard to drive down your body fat if that’s one of your aims.’

When’s the best time to take protein on board?

Protein intake should be distributed throughout the day as part of each main meal, but it can also be a useful training tool.

‘If you’re riding in the morning and want to maximise endurance fitness gains, a low-carb, high-protein breakfast can help,’ says Ranchordas. ‘You should always take on protein after a ride, and even on the bike during long rides of more than two hours. Aim to consume 25-30g per serving in each case.’

‘It also depends a little on the focus of your training,’ adds Carey. ‘If you’re doing, say, ten hill sprints and they’ll take you 20 minutes, there’s a case for taking on some whey protein – which gives you all of the amino acids without the saturated fat – before you ride. As soon as you do the first eyeballs-out interval your body is already breaking down muscle mass so it’s worth having amino acids in the pool, ready to start repairing those muscles straight away.’

Is protein ‘better’ from real food or from supplements?

‘I’m a huge advocate of “food first”, but protein supplements are useful for a busy rider,’ says Ranchordas. ‘A protein

‘One of the key determinants of performance is power-to-weight ratio, and optimising your body fat and muscle mass is key to improving’

shake or bar is convenient after a hard ride or gym session, or when you’re on the road. Plus supplements help up your intake if you’re vegan or vegetarian.’

‘The environmental and political consequences of animal agriculture have led food manufacturers to target more vegetable sources, so there’s a lot of pea and hemp protein around,’ says Carey. ‘There’s even insect protein on the market because this is easier to cultivate and better for the planet, and eventually I think we’ll see bio-engineered, labproduced protein products as well.

‘In terms of quality, you wouldn’t go for sausages – they contain four times as many calories from fat as they do from protein. When it comes to animal sources, you want good-quality meat that has been reared well, not batteryfarmed chickens. You might get two breasts for a fiver but they’re low on protein because the chickens don’t have room to move.’

Are there any dangers? Can you have too much?

Too much of anything is bad for you.

‘Provided you have normal kidney function you could take on 3-4g/kg per day for six to eight weeks – if you were a rugby player looking to bulk up, for example – without doing any harm,’ says Carey. ‘But if you have kidney issues the ammonia and nitrogen by-products from excess protein can be toxic.

‘The fact is that people spend huge amounts of money on protein they don’t need,’ he adds. ‘Some people take on 50g of protein in one sitting when the body can only absorb 25-30g, and there’s evidence that long-term overconsumption of protein can cause bowel cancer. Remember that most meats are around 20% protein, so

100g of chicken will contain 20g.’

Are there any myths about protein we should bust?

‘That women should avoid protein supplements because they can make them bulky,’ says Ranchordas. ‘It’s simply not true.’

‘Protein has become big business but no one food group is more important than the other,’ adds Carey. ‘It’s about balance. First you need to hydrate, then you need energy – for any physical activity – and then you need to recover. All of the food groups are important.’