Protein
Need to know Protein
Harness the powers of protein to boost your running performance
Words: Laura Hilton
A protein-rich diet is great for runners – and women
Protein was once a form of nutrition thought only to be the obsession of body builders, who seemingly wouldn’t be seen leaving the gym without a shake. These days, high protein snacks and convenience foods can be seen all over the supermarket, with high protein versions of chocolate bars, cereal and even bread. Here, we give you the lowdown on what protein does in the body, whether it’s something runners should be thinking about and, if so, how to go about ensuring we not only get enough of it, but which sources to choose.
What does protein do?
Very simply put, protein is the body’s building block. It’s what is used to build bone, hair, skin, muscle and all the other tissues of the body. Protein is made up of amino acids, of which there are 20, some of which are described as “essential” and others as “non-essential”. When a protein source contains all 20 amino acids, it is described as being a source of “complete” protein. When it doesn’t, it’s described as being an “incomplete” protein. This is particularly worth noting if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, but we’ll cover that in more detail later. Although the body is able to use protein to produce energy, the process it has to go through in order to do this is not a particularly efficient method, and therefore carbohydrates and fat are used much more readily by the body for energy. That said, if a person happened to eat lower amounts of carbohydrate and fat, then the body could turn to protein for fuel.
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