What's the best time to eat a 30gram protein bar? (Read 2166 times)

I overheard someone at my gym tonight saying that he has 75 grams of protein in the morning. The guys a weightlifter, so he probably needs that much. However, is there a good time when a runner should get a protein boost like a shake or a bar? I always used to think it was at night, to let your body repair overnight. Now I'm confused!

Marcus, that picture of you cradling the sake is funny as hell! Thanks for the advice. I actually had a Met-RX Fudge Brownie tonight and it actually kept my hunger down too.

Never. Eat food.

Agreed.

Never. Eat food.

I will disagree with this statement when it comes to recovery nutrition. If you have either ran long or hard, liquid nutrition is the way to go. 3 or 4:1 carb to protein ratio, make the carbs high glycemic, and the protein fast acting like Whey. After intense exercise you have about a 40 minute window where if the right nutrients are consumed some magic things happen. Compared to the same meal consumed up to 3 hours later: Protein synthesis is increased 600% Glycogen storage is increased 200% Glucose uptake is increased 600% Amino acid uptake is increased 300% Since this initial 40 minute window is so critical, liquid nutrient consumption is by far superior since it's absorbed faster. The same nutrients consumed via solid foods can take up to 2-3 hours to work. After we run long or hard we need to do two things: replace the muscle glycogen, and begin to repair the muscle tissue. This is how it's done. After a tough workout your muscles are very insulin sensitive therefore the carbohydrate you consume along with the protein should be a very high glycemic carb. Why? Because the higher glycemic load the carbohydrate the greater amount of insulin your body will dump in your blood stream. This is ideal because your muscles are insulin sensitive immediately post strenous workout. In a generic sense insulin helps transport amino acids into your muscle cells and this is why protein synthesis and uptake is so greatly increased during this time. So immediately post workout, a lot of insulin is good assuming there is some protein to go along with it. But any other time of the day (pretty much) too much insulin is bad because along with cortisol it promotes fat storage. This is a major concept of diets like South Beach where it limits the intake of bad carbs (high glycemic) during the day to keep your insulin levels at bay. But right after a tough workout, you want a lot of insulin and you get that by ingesting a high glycemic carb like dextrose. You can get really fancy with post workout drinks, but chocolate milk is easy and an excellent choice. I personally use some protein powder in skim milk with added dextrose and it works extremely well. Protein has long been an overlooked nutrient in the endurance sports world but slowly the value of it is catching on. I have seen products at local running stores that are drink mixes with a 4:1 carb to protein ration that are to be consumed while you're running, cycling, etc. There are studies that show endurace increases if some protein is consumed along with carbohydrates during exercise. The numbers are a 24% increase over a carb only drink and 57% over water alone. I will write it again, I highly recommend you buy the book I mentioned above.

I will disagree with this statement when it comes to recovery nutrition. If you have either ran long or hard, liquid nutrition is the way to go. 3 or 4:1 carb to protein ratio, make the carbs high glycemic, and the protein fast acting like Whey.

You may very well be right on all that science. All those many, many long, polysyllabic words I can't pronounce. I have no idea and hopefully won't ever know. But doesn't all that over-complication of eating (and running) ever make you wanna just chill out and have a banana?

You may very well be right on all that science. All those many, many long, polysyllabic words I can't pronounce. I have no idea and hopefully won't ever know. But doesn't all that over-complication of eating (and running) ever make you wanna just chill out and have a banana?

Lol. I eat a banana everyday for lunch. It's really not that complicated if you want to perform at 100% of your potential. But you know, if it's all just recreational then hell...eat anything you want that works. I admit I am a bit of a nutrition Nazi so that's where I am coming from. I never eat anything without reading the label first and it drives my wife insane.

What's the best time to eat a 30gram protein bar? 3:18:57 p.m. GMT

Lol. I eat a banana everyday for lunch. It's really not that complicated if you want to perform at 100% of your potential. But you know, if it's all just recreational then hell...eat anything you want that works.

(shrug) Hey, knock yourself out. Each to his own, and you sure ain't alone. It's just that for me, all that worrying about the tiny details would wear my ass out. If I was trying to win the Olympics, I might be interested. Actually, no I wouldn't. I'd just hire a coach to do that for me. And as always, I wonder about the actual science. I'd like to see a good study on athletes (especially non-elites) who obsess over this stuff versus those that just try eat healthy and run a lot. If it turns out that reading the labels on your 30 milligrams of protein actually boosts your 5-k by 30 seconds, sign me up. All I know for sure is three things: One is that the dude who runs more than almost anyone else here (he just got passed) and may be the very fastest among us .... admitted yesterday to running races on Krispy Kremes and coffee. At least some of the time. And when I look at most of the veterans and speed demons, they're pretty simplistic types. It seems that its the mid-packers who stress most about food (and heart rate and cadence and MAF and all the rest). And I also know there's a multi-billion dollar industry that survives by convincing us that all of those complicated products are necessary. And lastly, I know that - for me - running is designed primarily to simplify my life. It's the part of my life where everything is calm, where the world goes away. I don't want it complicated. So like I said, you may be right on all that stuff. I have no idea. But anything that complicated doesn't much interest me. Hell, I'm already a sell-out for getting a Garmin. But I'm sticking with my banana and a donut. A salad now and then. And all the red meat the hippies won't eat. Yum. MTA: and those ranty musings were a complete high-jack, more about simplicity versus complication than about food. My apologies to the OP. I have no idea when best to eat your protein bar. I'd guess when you're hungry for one.