Muscle Soreness and Diet Change

It was the fly in the ointment. The caveat.

Simply my ability to recover was very limited. I would be sore for several days after a ride, despite it not being particularly intense (like the commute home). Then when I did ride hard, on a mountain typically, the muscle soreness would last for almost a week. This despite lots of stretching and such.

For possible causes I looked at, not my rides, but my diet instead. Aha. 30 grams of protein, for an entire day. This at a little over 72 kg’s of weight.

So off I went to the mall. For shopping, no less at GNC. Whey protein powder? Now that sounds promising.

Bag in hand, hopes in arm, I wondered if it would make a difference. I figured 40 extra grams a day, for a total of 70 would be a good starting point.

Ten days later I have noticed a huge improvement. I no longer am sore for days on end after a hard ride. Easier rides don’t tax me much anymore in the prolonged muscle soreness department.

Has anyone else had a similar experience - improvement of performance or recovery - by altering their protein intake?

I haven't tried it, but this has given me food for thought. Despite my hard work all summer, neither my climbing or speed have improved significantly. I can ride longer, but not harder or faster.

Hmm.

Yes indeed!

Protein and good quality fats...both essential for recovery. I learned this in conjunction with weight lifting, but the same basic principles apply. Your body needs the proper fuel to rebuild!

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

I haven't tried it, but this has given me food for thought. Despite my hard work all summer, neither my climbing or speed have improved significantly. I can ride longer, but not harder or faster.

Hmm.

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Nutrition probably isn't the culprit in your case, Susan. Are you training to ride harder or faster? Or are you simply training to ride longer? More hours in the saddle won't necessarily make you faster or stronger. You need to be very specific in your training if you want to see specific adaptations. If you want to be faster, you need to train your body to go faster.

Yup - what V-girl says, SouthernBelle.

I have never been able to train my sprint AND my endurance simultaneously. It's one or the other. I'll do a sprint day (sprint up hills, for example) and then take a rest day. If I've honestly hammered, I need that rest day! Rinse & repeat a couple days/week. Maybe one long ride/week, just to get it out of my system, but no more. You're training a different muscle group (slow twitch) when you're sprinting. After awhile, you will find that your MPH during your endurance rides picks up. It doesn't happen overnight, though.

CC - I live by protein powder. I'm not keen on a lot of animal protein and I get tired of cottage cheese quickly. When I refuel immediately after a workout with simple carbs & a little protein, I recover much faster. The simple carbs help drive the protein into the muscles where repair can begin. It's important to use a whey protein (which you probably bought) as opposed to casein (found in cottage cheese) because whey is faster acting.

I just read an article that said athletes' uptake of protein is much better than couch potatoes. So, the usual recommendation of 15% protein might be too low for people who exercise regularly. This article recommended 30% protein, 55%-60% carbs & the rest from good fats for bodybuilders.

True that I have been simply increasing distance as I am a relatively new rider. As the days get shorter, I will be adding resistance training back in. It got dropped when I broke my ribs last spring, and I just let it stay dropped for the summer.

But I don't seem to be improving, even in my distance abilities. When protein was mentioned a little light went off in my head. I don't eat near as much protein as I used to. I do get some from dairy (milk on cereal & 1-2 yogurts a day), but normally eat meat or fish only for dinner. Otherwise, I'm pretty healthy in my diet.

There is nothing speedy about me, and never has been. My sports have always been endurance ones.

I do know that if I don't eat my ususal huge protein-laden breakfast I run out of steam during the day. (I eat dinner for breakfast: pork chops and mashed potatoes and broccoli, stuff like that)

So I guess I'm looking at protein from a fuel standpoint rather than a recovery/rebuilding standpoint, but I know I certainly need the stuff.

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

You're training a different muscle group (slow twitch) when you're sprinting.

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I believe you mean fast twitch. It's my understanding that fast twitch muscle fibers are for sprinting, jumping, quick movement activites and slow twitch for endurance type activities, running/jogging, cycling, walking, etc.

You got me thinking......

I would do anything to help speed my recovery. We do make sure we have an appropriate post ride snack. We have an hour drive home from the trails where we train, so I always bring something.

But I wonder if increasing my daily amount would help. I have been hesitant, because everything I have read, including Nancy Clark says that athletes do not necessarily need more protein in their diet.

Ruth

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Originally Posted by rocknrollgirl;

says that athletes do not necessarily need more protein in their diet.

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Have you read "The Paleo Diet for Athletes"? Really an alternative way of looking at the diet of endurance athletes. A very good read... if nothing else, you'll want to eat more lean protein and more veggies just from reading the book! :)

I have not read that book...I will scope it out.

I don't think this is a problem we carnivores have. I think this might be more of a problem to vegans and vegetarians. As a carnivore, one tends to eat enough protein, and in fact, I cut back during rides and then eat well the day before and the day after.

Ahem, we aren't carnivores! :D Rather omnivores, I do like my greens too ;)

EDIT: GLC mentioned an excellent book - highly recommended :)


On a serious note, I've read some of those studies too about how athletes don't need more protein, etc.

The reality though is I have to go with what my body is telling me, what it is doing, and how it responds. The simple fact is that since I've started adding a steady 40 grams of protein a day (for a total of 70 which is about 1 gram of protein/1 kg of weight in my case), I have recovered faster, and am getting stronger especially in hill climbing.

I think my body now has the raw materials, nutrition-wise, to build and strengthen my muscles, whereas before it didn't.

You could argue that maybe it has nothing to do with protein, but I am going to opt for the simpler explanation. Added protein - recover faster - stronger in the mountains. My training hasn't changed, except I'm doing better and not nearly as sore.

Mind you, the reason I feel it has helped me improve is because I had a deficiency in this particular nutrient. 20-30 grams a day of protein for a woman training fairly hard and riding 100+ miles seems lacking, or it was for me.

I am not suggesting people load up on protein, but just to get the right amount for their bodies to recover and get stronger. What that amount is, what number it equates with is something people need to determine themselves obviously. Also I am not a vegetarian, but I simply didn't eat a lot of meat and am fairly slender to begin with.

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Also I am not a vegetarian, but I simply didn't eat a lot of meat and am fairly slender to begin with.

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I think that is the same as me.