Martinsnos
Senior Member
Does anyone know if, on top of standard meals and on-bike nutrition, professionals eat additional protein (e.g protein shakes?).
Thanks
Thanks
Pros and protein
- Thread starter Martinsnos
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BurningLegs
Veteran
Do you mean additional protein specifically in the form of powders, or do you mean additional in any form I.e including dietary?
If the latter I’d say it’s a yes for all pros. If it’s the formers I’d reckon it’s a yes for most pros.
Why do you ask?
If the latter I’d say it’s a yes for all pros. If it’s the formers I’d reckon it’s a yes for most pros.
Why do you ask?
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Absolutely they do.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Pros will have a nutritionist (or whatever the job title is) managing their diet for them. The diet will be managed to maximise gains. Most pros live like monks during the racing season.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
And eat like a 6l Chevy due to the exercise they do. OP needs to google the 'can I eat what a pro cyclist eats in a day' video. OMG.
Martinsnos
Senior Member
I’ve trained for circa 40 years and feel I have a fairly balanced diet but a few months ago I decided to weigh my protein and I was way down on the number of grams I should be consuming.
I’ve started on the whey protein powder and I just wondered if the pros use it.
Thank you for your interest.
Martinsnos
Senior Member
Just interested in if they use protein powders, on this occasion, but find the whole nutrition thing very interesting.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Are you competing ? Do you need to lose/add weight ?
If not, then eat food that tastes good and is of a balanced diet. Enjoy your rides !
Martinsnos
Senior Member
Ah, not just cycling, weight training too. So I reckon all those years I was ‘eating’ my own muscle, bulking up nicely now with the whey protein (well what with that and the steroids 😉).
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
See a nutritionalist depending on what you want to do. Were a forum of 'general cyclists' with many years experience for racing, to keeping fit, to shopping only cyclists.
You need a more specific question about what you are intending to do.
I've raced etc, but age, lifestyle etc, makes a big difference. 'Supplements' are a big money spinner - you can do all that through the food you eat.
You need to be more specific.
Martinsnos
Senior Member
Just having a chat. Interested to know about protein and pro cyclists.
I did quite a bit of nutrition related stuff in the past. Got quite into within exercise feeding and ingestion rates. I use an 8% glucose solution equating to 60g an hour but I hear the pros are up as high as 120g but that has to impact on their ability to absorb liquid - but they’ll have researched it for sure.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
If you aren't racing to regional level at a minimum, just improve your diet through real food. If vegan or vegitarian, you need to do a bit more research.
Eat a balanced diet - it's that simple - more carbs if you do a big ride.
Eat a balanced diet - it's that simple - more carbs if you do a big ride.
Martinsnos
Senior Member
I fully understand what you are saying and I was of exactly the same opinion but as I said earlier, when I weighed my protein it was too low.
I now think that ‘supplements’ have a place, particularly in my case where I’m trying to lose a bit of weight and therefore maybe I need to adjust the bulk of what I eat and the balance goes ‘off’.
I still make sure I eat the different nutrients but smaller portion sizes and then I ‘up’ my protein with the whey powder.
I’m keeping a careful eye on my weight (appreciating that the ‘mirror test’ is the best method!!!).
Martinsnos
Senior Member
I did - or made allowances.There's protein in a lot of foods, did you weigh your milk for example? Protein comes in a myriad different forms
I do weights, run and cycle and I weighed 15 stone. I forget the exact amount but it was something like I should be having 150g of protein a day and I was coming in at only around 100g.
Could be placebo but I would say that since the protein my strength has increased - but I do now weigh 17 stone (joke!).
BurningLegs
Veteran
I agree with you @Martinsnos - In my experience it can be tough to get the right amount of protein even in a balanced diet without taking on too many calories.
I went through a similar exercise to you and do supplement with protein powder (but still consume less than the recommended amount of protein for my bodyweight) and the benefit to recovery is the most noticeable thing. I didn't notice any direct improvement in performance (i.e not like my FTP improved after a month), but I feel that I do recover quicker/easier when consuming more protein.
I suppose that means I could train more and see indirect gains from the protein in take that way, but I don't bother.
I went through a similar exercise to you and do supplement with protein powder (but still consume less than the recommended amount of protein for my bodyweight) and the benefit to recovery is the most noticeable thing. I didn't notice any direct improvement in performance (i.e not like my FTP improved after a month), but I feel that I do recover quicker/easier when consuming more protein.
I suppose that means I could train more and see indirect gains from the protein in take that way, but I don't bother.
