Do Cyclists Need Protein During A Ride?

Protein is the most important macronutrient in a cyclist’s diet. The protein we eat provides both the trigger and building blocks (amino acids) for the growth and repair of many body issues that play key roles in health and performance, from muscle tissues to the cells of the immune system that fight off illness and infection.  

A common question we get asked within Fuel The Ride Academy about protein is whether athletes should consume protein during long rides. So, in this week's blog, we’re going to take a detailed look.

Our bodies are in a constant state of protein turnover. As such, we are always breaking down proteins (such as muscle) within the body and creating new ones. The balance between these two processes determines whether we gain or lose protein overall.

As a general rule, athletes are often interested in gaining new proteins, often in the form of proteins like blood vessels, muscle fibres and mitochondria, the engine of the muscle cells, which can all help shape our physiology to give us the hardware to become a better athlete. 

During exercise, particularly endurance exercise, where there is often relatively extreme energy requirement (i.e. we can burn thousands of calories of energy during a long hard ride) there is an increased breakdown of protein.

Research has shown that during a moderate-intensity ride (60% VO2 Max), particularly when our muscle glycogen stores (and therefore carbohydrate availability) are low, we can break down as much as a staggering 13 grams of protein in an hour of riding.

The harder we work, the more protein we break down (Research paper); in particular, the essential (i.e. we cannot produce it, and it is an essential component of our diet) amino acid leucine is often broken down and converted into glucose and used as a fuel.

This breakdown of protein is used as an alternative fuel source to fat and glucose, with protein converted into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis and used by the muscle; this can contribute to as much as 10% of our total energy expenditure during any endurance activities (like cycling).

We don’t know much about protein breakdown as it’s a very difficult process to measure and study. We are in a constant state of breakdown to recycle damaged proteins, and protein breakdown during exercise may also play a role in survival. Muscle is a tissue that requires a lot of energy to maintain and use, and when we are in a period of energy stress (i.e. long endurance ride), the body tries to adapt to this by reducing our energy expenditure. The breakdown of muscle is potentially one way to do this.

Will eating protein during a ride help prevent the breakdown of muscle protein?

With the breakdown of protein that occurs during exercise and the desire to maintain muscle mass and support muscle recovery and rebuilding throughout the day, consuming protein during exercise to support this is a logical strategy. 

Eat protein during exercise, and hopefully, it will either offset the breakdown of muscle protein as fuel or prevent it from happening, but it doesn’t appear to be that simple. Whilst consuming protein during exercise can increase whole-body protein balance (i.e. taking into account all the different organs that contain protein within the body), it doesn’t appear to impact on the working muscles which is where the bulk of the breakdown and focus around recovery is likely to be.

Will taking on protein during exercise improve my performance?

Previous research has shown some interest in adding protein to carbohydrate-rich sports drinks to enhance endurance performance, but the results from these studies failed to see significant improvements in endurance performance, particularly when optimal amounts of carbohydrates are consumed.

There also isn't a viable known mechanism for which protein intake during exercise could enhance performance. 

So, in effect, there isn't a need to take on protein during exercise, even if it's like a ride with significant protein breakdown. This is further justified by that protein is unlikely to offer any performance or recovery benefit, and consuming protein puts significant stress on the digestive system and is likely to cause stomach upset, particularly if you're exercising hard. 

So in summary athletes should focus on protein intake during sessions rather than during them.

Coach Ben