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Senior Citizen Sports
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No Magic |
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Adding Protein to Sports Drinks Fails to Boost
Sports Performance
Sports drinks improve performance due to
carbohydrate, sodium
August 3, 2006 – Older athletes often seek anything
that may increase their performance but adding protein to a sports drink
won't make you run faster, suggests findings from researchers at
McMaster University in a study funded by Gatorade.
"Sports drinks improve performance during prolonged
exercise because of two key ingredients: carbohydrate, which provides
fuel for working muscles, and sodium, which helps to maintain fluid
balance," says Martin Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at
McMaster.
"Research also supports the practice of consuming
protein after exercise to promote muscle recovery. However, the alleged
benefit of consuming protein during exercise is controversial."
The study, which is published in the August edition
of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that adding protein to
a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink did not improve cycling time
trial performance compared to the sports drink alone.
The research was conducted on 10 trained cyclists
who performed a simulated 80 km bicycle race on three occasions. During
exercise, the subjects were given a sports drink, a sports drink
supplemented with protein, or a placebo drink that provided no energy.
The drinks were similarly flavored and neither the
subjects nor the researchers knew what drink was consumed during a given
test. The study found that the sports drink improved performance
compared to the placebo drink -- confirming prior research -- but there
was no additional benefit of protein supplementation.
"Previous studies that suggested protein was
beneficial used 'ride to exhaustion' tests that do not resemble normal
athletic competition. In addition, the subjects in those studies
received less than the optimal recommended amount of carbohydrate," says
Gibala. "Our study shows that protein confers no performance benefit
during 'real life' exercise when athletes consume sufficient amounts of
a sports drink."
The study, which was funded by Gatorade, comes at a
time when the sports drink industry is under pressure to create new
products by adding ingredients that might further enhance performance.
Some companies have heavily marketed protein-laced sports drinks as the
next magic bullet, but Gibala's research disputes such claims.
"Eating a little protein after exercise is
important to help repair damaged muscles and promote training
adaptations," says Gibala, "but no compelling evidence suggests that
endurance athletes need protein during exercise."
Notes:
McMaster University reports to be a world-renowned,
research-intensive university, which fosters a culture of innovation,
and a commitment to discovery and learning in teaching, research and
scholarship. Based in Hamilton, ON, the University, one of only four
Canadian universities to be listed on the Top 100 universities in the
world, has a student population of more than 23,000, and an alumni
population of more than 115,000 in 128 countries.
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