To improve our diet and training, the way is to understand the science behind everything. A good way to achieve this is to read the latest research in the field. But if spending hours looking through scientific publications is not feasible for you, why not pay us a visit every week and find out what’s new?
This week, we’ll see if the best fuel for runners is carbohydrates or proteins, and whether the ketogenic diet should be followed by endurance sports enthusiasts.
Let’s find out the answers.
Proteins or carbohydrates for runners?
If you jog regularly, you may have already wondered what is the ideal food to run a little faster, prevent injuries or go a little further. Most long-distance runners are familiar with the importance of consuming carbohydrates just before or during the race, but should protein also come into consideration?
A recent study looked at the impact of protein supplementation in the pre- and post-run on mitochondrial proteins and performance, to see if there was a link.
A group of 24 experienced runners was analyzed, distributing a pre- and post-race protein supplement to half of them, randomly selected, and then comparing them with runners of the same gender, age, VO2 max, training and level performance, with these seconds using only a carbohydrate supplement.
It was observed that taking protein before the race and protein together with carbohydrates afterwards, during a six-week training program, caused specific mitochondrial protein adaptations, when the results were compared with the effect of taking just one carbohydrate drink. of carbon.
However, no significant improvement in performance at the level of maximum VO2 or time for the 6-km test run was found in the group of runners, which means that it was not possible to associate these adaptations with resistance performance. increased. It would be interesting to see in future studies whether these mitochondrial adaptations could be revealed in other ways, such as muscle power or strength.
Can the ketogenic diet increase endurance?
Could a diet with extremely low carbohydrate doses be the solution for optimal physical well-being and performance? Many endurance athletes attribute an improvement in their performance to the ketogenic diet, but can it really make a difference?
A group of researchers decided to find out if science gives credibility to the reports by reviewing several studies that analyzed physical performance during the “ keto ” diet. Most of the reviewed studies used maximum VO2, time to exhaustion, running time, perceived exhaustion rate and maximum peak physical power to measure performance.
It was found that the results were, on the whole, unclear and that, at the present time, it is not possible to be sure whether the ketogenic diet has a positive impact on physical performance. It was concluded that more research is needed to better understand the influence of this type of diet on resistance exercise.
Do you believe that a low carbohydrate diet can be a good idea for you?
Final Message
This week’s studies remind us that what we eat has a big influence on our training and performance.
Making sure that we provide our body with adequate nutrition for workouts will help us achieve the results we want, whether they relate to performance or body composition.