General wisdom in exercise research says that consumption of protein after vigorous exercise results in improved recovery and performance. In fact, recent research into male cyclists has shown this to be true. Male cyclists who consumed protein after long cycling sessions improved their performance by more than 4 percent, which is a significant gain for competitive athletes.
However, when the same study was conducted on female cyclists, the results were quite different, surprising the research community (but not so much female athletes).
The study was conducted at the Division of Exercise and Sport Science at the Insitute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health in Wellington, New Zealand. It is published in May’s edition of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. The researchers sought to find out if there is a significant difference between low and high protein diets on cycling performance in highly trained female athletes. Female cyclists completed 3 rides at high intensity, including interval training for 2.5 hours on the first day, followed by sprints on days 2 and 4. Day 3 was a rest day. During recovery, participants consumed one of two different diets: one was high in protein, and one was high in carbohydrates (but both contained a mix of carbohydrates and protein). Unlike the results of the men’s study, those who consumed the high protein diet saw no improvement in cycling performance. In addition, the women reported greater fatigue and muscle soreness, and lower leg strength. Interestingly, blood sugar levels in the women were lower during recovery than the men’s, and blood lactate levels were lower during sprints than in men. Nitrogen balance findings suggest that women who are highly trained athletes have protein requirements that are higher than the recommended daily allowance, but only 0.65 times that of male athletes.
This is one of the first and only studies conducted on the physiological differences between male and female athletes. The researchers caution that the results should not be interpreted to mean that female athletes do not benefit from protein after vigorous exercise, and that more studies must be conducted to elucidate the mechanisms behind the results found here.
