Protein

The Power of Protein:
​Essential Nutrition for Endurance Athletes and Executives

In endurance sports, especially triathlon, nutrition is key to optimizing performance, recovery, and overall health. As an executive you can apply those sports nutrition lessons to enhance your professional life and well-being. Here’s an in-depth look at how protein plays a crucial role in general health, including muscle growth, repair, recovery. We discuss what proteins are, the why, what, how and when proteins are needed.

1.    Why Eat Protein?

Protein is the building block of life. It plays a critical role in repairing and building muscles, producing enzymes and hormones, and supporting immune function. They represent 20% of your body weight and are not only essential for muscles, but also for the structure of tissue like tendons, skin, hair and nails. They also are necessary to create thousands of different enzymes, as well as hormones like insulin and adrenaline.

Proteins consist of 20 types of amino acids, which combine to form hundreds of different proteins essential for bodily functions. There are twelve non-essential amino acids that your body can synthesize, and eight essential ones that can only be obtained through nutrition. Continuous replenishment of protein is necessary due to the imperfect cycle of the breaking down (catabolism) and rebuilding of proteins (anabolism).

For athletes, the benefits of protein extend to:

• Muscle Repair and Growth: During intense workouts, muscle fibers experience microtears. Protein helps repair these tears and build stronger muscles.
• Enhanced Recovery: Adequate protein intake reduces recovery time, allowing athletes to train harder and more frequently.
• Energy Supply: While carbohydrates are the primary energy source, protein can be used as fuel, especially during prolonged activities like triathlons.  

For business executives, proteins play a similar role in maintaining energy levels and mental sharpness, crucial for long work hours and high-stress environments.

2.    How to Eat Protein

As protein is a key building block, it should be an inherent part of your daily diet, about 0.75 grams per kilogram of body weight, or 15-20% of your daily caloric intake.

This means a balanced meals should include half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with whole grains. The combination with carbohydrates improves the protein synthesis and more efficiently replenish glycogen levels. The insulin response triggered by carbohydrates also reduces muscles protein breakdown as insulin has an anti-catabolic effect. Sufficient hydration generally helps absorption, transportation and the breakdown of proteins into amino acids.

Further, protein-rich snacks like nuts, seeds, yogurt, or protein bars can be served in between meals. It is important to mix up your protein sources to ensure a broad spectrum of amino acids and nutrients.

On top of the baseline, certain athletes have higher needs to repair, grow, and recover their muscles:

• Endurance Athletes: Marathon runners, cyclists, and triathletes require protein to repair muscles after long, strenuous sessions and to support overall endurance and stamina (recommendation is 1.2-1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight).
• Strength Athletes: Weightlifters and bodybuilders need significant protein to build and maintain muscle mass (1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight).
• High-Intensity Athletes: Those engaged in high-intensity interval training (HIIT), Hyrox, Cross-fit or sports with bursts of explosive movements, benefit from protein to support rapid recovery and muscle repair. (1.4 -2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight)

As part of this balanced diet, it is important to find high quality foods. Below is a list of high protein foods that give you the biggest bang for your buck:

• Lean Meats: Chicken, turkey, and lean cuts of beef or pork.
• Fish and Seafood: Salmon, tuna, and other fish rich in protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• Dairy Products: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk.
• Plant-Based Proteins: Beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, chia seeds and nuts.
• Protein Supplements: Whey, casein, and plant-based protein powders can be convenient, especially post-workout. 

3.    When to Eat Protein

It is important to distribute protein intake evenly across meals to maintain a state of positive nitrogen balance, conducive to muscle growth and repair. However when you work out, it can be beneficial to add proteins after, during and before your workouts.

• After a Workout: The most important for repair and recovery is to consume protein within 30 minutes to two hours after exercise, to kickstart the muscle repair and growth process.
• Before long Workout: If you anticipate a very long workout, where the total glycogen levels might be depleted, consuming a small amount of protein (15-30 grams) one to two hours before your training can protect your muscles from being consumed as an energy source due to a lack of carbohydrates. It also primes your muscles for repair and growth.
• During long Workout: During the long workout you could also add 10-15grams of protein, for the same reasons as the above.

4.    Amino Acid Supplements
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Amino acid supplements, particularly BCAAs and EAAs, can complement balanced diets, providing additional support for muscle recovery and endurance. They are particularly useful for managing fatigue and supporting quicker recovery, enabling you to maintain both your athletic and professional performance. They are lighter to take before and during workouts versus more voluptuous protein shakes and can add value post-workout as they can be more efficiently absorbed.

Conclusion
Integrating lessons from triathlon nutrition into your daily routine can provide significant benefits, whether you’re tackling a challenging business project or training for your next race. By understanding the importance of protein, timing your intake effectively, and incorporating high-quality sources into your diet, you can optimize your performance both in the boardroom and on the racecourse!

Do not forget. It's the small daily steps that transform into positive habits, patterns and beliefs that are ingrained in the body and mind. Enjoy the journey!

Bonus Tip: Coach Tim
“Before an intensive endurance session, I do not recommend that you consume protein shakes in large quantities, as your stomach will probably not forgive you. In my experience, it is better to supply amino acids in the form of powdered drinks. This is much easier on the stomach, and the body can access and use these directly during the session, thus allowing the existing amino acids to be stored and be more effective.”

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