Health News

A roundup of discoveries, updates, and advice to keep you living (and feeling) your best.

Sweat, Then Carbs

Conventional wisdom tells us to have protein after a workout. But a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests that a big dose of protein after endurance workouts isn’t more effective than carbohydrates. In the study, 60 guys aged

20 to 40 did a three-month endurance-training program. Half drank a shake containing 28.7 grams of protein after training and again before bed; the others had a carb shake. At the end, a 10K bike time trial showed that, yes, protein consumers improved their bike times by 15 percent, but the carb loaders were right there at 12 percent, suggesting that carbs and protein are almost equally effective for postworkout recovery and muscle adaptation. One way protein did pay off: leg muscle mass, with the protein group showing an increase 2.5 times greater than the carb consumers.