Protein Shakes

[supa-powa]

If all im doing is a cardio workout, is it still beneficial to drink a protein shake either before or after my run/cycle/swim?

thanks.

[2guns]

wat time of day are u doing it?

how long is yr session?

and do u want to lose weight then do it on empty stomach, but if u are training for a tri athlon or wateva u are doing it would probably be good to maintain yr muscles, but then u would want more than justa protein shake wouldnt u because u need energy???

[supa-powa]

Ok sorry a bit more information.

> my training will be in the morning, 30min-1hr after waking up.

> my sessions will be about 40min-1hr long.

> I am training for marathons / mini traithlons.

[Pseudonym]

Have half a scoop of protein before and half after your cardio. When in doubt, sit on the fence! :grin:

Actually, I have a few other reasons apart from just fence-sitting for suggesting this...

- As 2guns says, you'll probably want more than just a protein shake to provide you with energy. You'll need a good source of carbs too. For you, this will be more important than the protein. However, a bit of protein's not a bad idea either. According to the study JoelBell posted yesterday, "the addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement enhanced endurance performance above that which occurred with carbohydrate alone."

- However, you probably don't want a full load of protein that needs digesting when you're just about to go off and do a pile of marathon training. Hence half a scoop before-hand.

- Afterwards, again carbs will be important to replace the energy spent during your training. Because it was cardio rather than weight training, the amount of muscle damage will be less, and therefore you won't need as much protein as a bodybuilder would.

I'm no expert though. My suggestion is based on reasoning rather than knowledge and experience. Flex and Waldo are the guys with experience when it comes to endurance sports. It'll be interesting to see what they say.

[supa-powa]

Its just because if I do say 3 bike sessions in consecutive days, my legs are way too sore to do any more for the week. Is this bad training or bad nutrition?

Thanks.