This is the sixth and final article in the Running Warrior Performance Nutrition Series
(parts of this were excerpted from ‘Fast Track’ by Suzy Favor-Hamilton and Jose Antonio, Ph.D.)
If you’re like most runners, you’ve probably been taught the importance of eating carbohydrates. You need it for energy. On the other hand, protein has sort of taken a back seat to carbohydrate. In fact, it’s our experience that many runners subscribe to the many myths surrounding protein intake. Protein is bad for your kidneys. Not true. Too much protein is bad for your bones. Not true. I might get too big, like a bodybuilder, if I eat a lot of protein. Not true. And so on.
Rule #1 – Never ever ever ever skimp on protein…NEVER!
Rule #2 – Always obey rule #1.
Here’s why dietary protein is so important. Your body is made up mainly of two things: protein and water. Proteins are part of your muscles, bones, cells, enzymes, antibodies, blood, organs, etc. Even though the primary function of protein is to provide the needed amino acids for maintaining the health of our organs and tissues, the need for this macronutrient is elevated if you’re an avid exerciser.
Why should runners eat more protein?
One reason: Recovery! We know some of you might think that you’ll get big muscles that’ll slow you down. Now if you quit running and started bodybuilding, then yes, you would get bigger. But running is a catabolic activity. Meaning, your body’s adaptive response to distance running it is to get smaller. Smaller and lighter runners tend to be the fastest as well. You need to have healthy muscles to perform at your best. Each time you run, you cause tremendous muscle protein breakdown.
For instance, when was the last time you did repeat strides or speedwork on a downhill incline? You probably got very sore 1 or 2 days afterward. Right? Well, that delayed-onset muscle soreness (also known as DOMS) is due to microtears in your muscles. You’ve literally torn some of your muscle fibers into little bits and pieces. In order to fix your muscle fibers, you need to give them the building blocks to do that. That’s where amino acids or protein comes in. Without the protein, you’ll have difficulty recovering. Keep in mind that eating carbohydrates facilitates recovery as well; albeit in a different manner (see Ch 9 on Carbohydrates for more details).
How much protein should runners eat?
Put it this way, mixing rice and beans isn’t going to do it! And that ½ glass of skim milk in the morning isn’t enough. A cup of skim milk has roughly 8 grams of protein. If you’re a 120 lb runner, that means you should be drinking 15 cups of skim milk to meet your daily protein needs! Now mind you, that’s if your only protein source is skim milk. Of course, you’ll be eating other foods. But this gives you an idea of how much you need to consume to meet your daily requirements.
As a runner, you need approximately 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein daily per kilogram of body weight. But since most of us don’t like working in kilograms, we generally recommend you eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. That’s slightly higher than the 2.0 g/kg/day recommendation. But it’s easier to remember. And don’t believe the naysayers who claim that all that protein is harmful to you. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Is ‘too much’ protein harmful?
Protein intakes as high as 1.3 grams of protein per pound of body weight have been shown to have no effect on kidney function.(15, 16) In fact, Darryn Willoughby, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology states that “there’s absolutely no evidence that consuming protein at levels greater than the RDA has any harmful effects in normal healthy adults.” Another concern is bone health. Does eating a lot of protein compromise your bone mineral content? Yes, it is possible that too little protein causes long-term harm to your bones!(17)
Which protein sources are best?
Milk
There’s more to milk than just using it to dip Oreo cookies! Milk is a complete protein and therefore contains all of the essential amino acids. Generally we’d recommend you consume whole milk if you’re the kind of person who skips meals or eats little fat. However, if you eat clean (and follow our advice), than skim milk should suffice.
Beef
Don’t let the fat in beef scare you. In fact, there’s a huge difference in fat content between different cuts of beef (see table below).
Fat Content in Beef
70% lean, 30% fat (ground beef)
80% lean, 20% fat (ground chuck)
85% lean, 15% fat (ground round)
90% lean, 10% fat (ground sirloin)
A simple method for remembering which beef source has the least fat content is to remember that those at the beginning of the alphabet (ground Beef) have the most fat and those at the end of the alphabet (ground Sirloin) have the least.
If you remember one thing about beef, it’s ZIP. ZIP stands for zinc, iron, and protein. Beef has lots of all three.
Nutrients in Top Sirloin Beef
6 oz. Serving – trimmed of fat and broiled
326 calories
51.6 grams of protein
11 mg zinc
5.7 mg iron
Also, lean beef is a healthy protein choice. For example, one study published in Nutrition looked at overweight women who exercised and consumed a restricted calorie diet with lean beef or chicken as the main protein source. Both groups lost similar amounts of weight, body fat, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).(18)
Chicken
Chicken is a great protein; similar to beef, the fat content of chicken can vary dramatically especially if you eat the skin. For instance, a 100g serving of light meat chicken with skin contains 222 calories and 10.85 grams of fat compared to 173 calories and 4.51 grams of fat if you remove the skin. That’s more than double the fat if you eat the skin. Eating chicken as part of a well-rounded diet can help decrease total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.(19) We’d recommend you remove the skin. Also, white meat has less fat than dark meat. However, if you eat little fat, try to eat the dark meat chicken.
Nutrients in Light and Dark Meat Chicken
Dark meat – 1 cup (chopped up), cooked, roasted, meat only (no skin).
287 calories
38 g protein
14 g fat
White meat – 1 cup (chopped up), cooked, roasted, meat only (no skin).
242 calories
43 g protein
6 g fat
Eggs
Some experts consider the amino acid profile of eggs to be the best of all food sources. Eggs are a rich source of thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folic acids, vitamin B12, biotin, vitamin D, vitamin E, and phosphorus. Despite the fact that egg yolks have a bad reputation, it’s not entirely deserved. In a study from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, they examined 27,000 individuals(20) and found “the daily nutrient intake of egg consumers was significantly greater than that of non-consumers.” That is, the egg consumers had a greater daily intake of vitamins B12, C, E, and A. Interestingly, individuals who ate four or more eggs daily had lower blood cholesterol levels than those who ate one egg or less daily. Not only is egg protein great but it’s very affordable. In a dozen eggs, you get 80+ grams of protein for less than a dollar!
Macronutrients in an omelet (3 large egg whites, 1 large whole egg)
Calories – 206
Protein – 23 grams
Carbohydrate – 2 grams
Fat – 11 grams
Fish
Fish is a complete protein that many would rate as the single best protein food source. Why? Eating fish has some amazing benefits. Particularly, the healthy fat in fish (eicosapentanoic acid and docosahexanoic acid) is something that you won’t find in our other proteins. Fish improves your mood, is great for your heart and is an effective anti-inflammatory nutrient. Just one serving per week will confer these benefits; however, more frequent consumption is even better.
Meal Replacement Powders
Sometimes you don’t have time to fix a ‘real’ meal. So the best alternative is to drink a protein powder or meal-replacement powder. Most of these mixes are high in protein, have moderate to no carbohydrate, and have very little to no fat. They use three main protein sources: whey, casein, and soy.
Whey
Whey is a complete protein and is particularly high in the branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and glutamine (an immune-boosting amino acid). Whey is considered a ‘fast’ protein.(21) If you eat a serving of whey on an empty stomach, levels of blood amino acids peak about 1 hour afterwards and return to baseline by 3-4 hours. Thus, whey is a very anabolic protein (i.e., great for muscle building or recovery). In fact, combining whey protein with a high-glycemic carbohydrate (e.g., maltodextrin, glucose, and sucrose) may be the ideal post-exercise meal.
Casein
Casein is the “opposite” of whey. Casein, a ‘slow’ protein, has a lower anabolic effect (31% versus 68%) when compared to whey. However, casein has a very profound anti-catabolic effect; meaning that casein inhibits protein breakdown.(22) Because casein is digested slowly, it produces a slow but steady rise in amino acids. Blood levels of amino acids peak 1 to 2 hours after eating casein (but they don’t get as high as when you eat whey). But, blood amino acid levels stay elevated for up to 7 hours. Casein is a great protein to take before going to bed. Because it’s absorbed slowly, you’ll get a steady flow of amino acids into your body. That’s good for recovery.
Soy
Soy Isolate is the best non-animal source of protein. Though soy is not commonly consumed by Americans, there are various soy products (e.g., soy milk, soy-based protein powders) at your local health food store. Soy protein contains potent anti-oxidants that provide significant health and anti-cancer benefits. This may be due to the presence of isoflavones, saponins, phytic acid, and other phytochemicals. One recent study found that a soy-based meal replacement formula lowered body weight, fat mass, and LDL cholesterol.”
Comparison of Some Popular Meal-Replacement Powders
| Brand/Product | Calories | Protein | Carbohydrate | Fat |
| EAS Myoplex Powder (1 packet) | 270 | 42 g | 23 g | 3.0 g |
| GNC Meg-MRP (1 packet) | 280 | 40 g | 22 g | 3.5 g |
| Garden of Life (Vegan) (2 Scoops) | 280 | 34 g | 30 g | 4.0 g |
| Max Muscle A.R.M. (Recovery) (2 scoops) | 250 | 28 g | 32 g | 0.5 g |
How many protein-containing meals should I eat?
As a general rule, try to consume a lean protein source 4-6 times daily (or every 3 hours). If you don’t have time for a ‘real’ meal, try a protein bar or a meal-replacement shake. It’s especially important you get protein (and carbohydrates) immediately after you run.