Understanding the optimal protein intake for athletes, particularly endurance athletes, is crucial for maximizing recovery and performance. This recent study delved into this realm, exploring protein needs in both male and female endurance athletes in real-world settings. Their findings shed light on the ideal protein intake, irrespective of gender, offering insights that challenge conventional recommendations and emphasize a unified approach towards optimizing muscle recovery.
Protein Needs for Endurance Athletes: Athletes’ protein intake guidelines often focus on males and lab settings, but this study explored protein needs in endurance athletes, regardless of gender and in a real-world setting.
Gender Doesn’t Affect Protein Processing: In a study involving both male and female endurance athletes, different protein intakes didn’t show significant gender-based differences in how the body processed protein during recovery.
Optimal Protein Intake: Findings suggest that both male and female athletes may benefit from a daily protein intake around 1.85 grams per kg of body weight to maximize muscle recovery after exercise, slightly higher than current recommendations.
Practical Application: This study suggests that a gender-neutral protein intake around 1.85 grams per kg of body weight could be beneficial for endurance athletes.