Should You Drink Protein After Runs?
When it comes to supplements, there’s perhaps no more discussed one than protein powder. It’s recommended not only for athletes but for everyone who needs to boost their intake of this macronutrient, and the benefits one gets are many. Not only are protein shakes an easy and convenient way to make sure you get enough protein to sustain your muscles and to recover better, but they also double down as a tasty and easy form of dessert that’s ideal for those on a weight loss journey.
Having said that, in this particular article, we’re going to talk about protein shakes as they pertain to runners. Do you need them after every workout, and are they as vital to your regime as they are to your bodybuilding friends?
Let’s find out now when and why you should drink protein after running.
Do Runners Benefit from Protein Shakes?
Runners are endurance athletes, and as such, they massively benefit from protein shakes, much more than the general population that’s not as active. A protein shake that includes a bit of carbohydrate is even better after a run as it kickstarts muscle repair and will help mitigate soreness and fatigue following a long and intense run.
With that said, if you’re just doing a light 30-minute jog on the treadmill, you’re unlikely to need post-exercise recovery fuel as you didn’t manage to fatigue your muscles. However, if you’re going on long runs that last more than one hour or you run races, such as a 10k or a half-marathon, then you might want to consider supplementation as a way to speed up the recovery process.
According to a study in Nutrients, published around five years ago, supplementing with protein immediately after running a marathon did not help athletes recover better in the first 24 hours post-race. However, it did alter their perception of muscle soreness and fatigue over the next 72 hours, as they managed to recover faster than their counterparts who only consumed carbohydrates after the long run.
This is especially helpful for those of you who want to complete a half or a full marathon and are currently in an intense training block. As you’re piling on the miles, you want to try and be as fresh as possible for the next run, so drinking protein after your weekly long run will aid you in faster recovery and help you get back on the track in just a few days so that you can put it another solid run.
Additionally, as endurance athletes runners do benefit from having an increased protein intake overall – especially on days where you do hard runs or when you’re training two times. Protein shakes are perhaps the easiest and most convenient way to increase protein intake, especially for working professionals who are busy and don’t necessarily have the time to prepare multiple snacks and meals. According to research done by PLosOne in 2016, endurance athletes benefit from a greater protein intake than the typical daily allowance – it’s suggested that runners should consume between 0.55 and 0.64 of protein per pound of bodyweight – which is just below the typical bodybuilding measure of 1 gram per pound of bodyweight and it’s around twice as much as recommended for non-active adults.
What Types of Protein Shakes Are Recommended for Runners?
Depending on the diet, you can choose to get any kind of whey-derived protein powder or a plant-based one. What’s important here is not so much the brand of the product but whether or not it contains all of the nine essential amino acids, as they’re what will help boost muscle recovery – you can think of it as having a protein shake and a BCAA drink all in one. To make it even better for post-run recovery, you can add some type of carbohydrate to your shake – a banana or a few dates – not only will it become more nutritious, but it will also activate the muscle recovery process.
Finally, you should make sure that your shake contains at least 15 grams of protein in the serving (or more); otherwise, it can’t really be considered a protein drink.
In Conclusion
If we have to give a quick answer, then we can immediately say – yes, you should be consuming a protein shake after your runs. But .. only after the hard ones, where you gave a real effort. That could be an interval session on the track or a long run in the park. However, it should be a workout that leaves you tired and your muscles in need of a recovery boost. In those situations, a quick chocolate milk protein shake and a banana are more than enough to help your body feel better quicker and ensure you will be able to go again tomorrow.
References:
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Pace Passion. (2023. November 23). Protein Shake After Running: 3 Pros and 4 Cons to Drink Protein After Running – https://pacepassion.com/running-guides/protein-shake-after-running/
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Michael J. Saunders, Nicholas D. Luden, Cash R. DeWitt, Melinda C. Gross, and Amanda Dillon Rios (2018 Mar 10). Protein Supplementation During or Following a Marathon Run Influences Post-Exercise Recovery. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872751/
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Hiroyuki Kato, Katsuya Suzuki, Makoto Bannai, Daniel R. Moore, (2016 Jun 20). Protein Requirements Are Elevated in Endurance Athletes after Exercise as Determined by the Indicator Amino Acid Oxidation Method. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4913918/