Training Nutrition protein triathlon nutrition Triathlon recovery Protein advice for athletes

Protein: how much do you need?

How much protein you should consume everyday when training for a triathlon depends on several factors, says Renee McGregor. Here she discusses protein requirements for endurance athletes

Renee McGregor Follow @mcgregor_renee

15 January 2022 / 10:34 GMT15 March 2023 / 14:57 GMT

The debate about protein requirements for athletes has heightened recently. Many associate high protein diets with strength and resistance training; while the focus seems to be on carbohydrates for endurance athletes.

That said, the literature demonstrates slightly different findings: while an anabolic stimulus such as strength training does seem to benefit from a higher intake of protein, this is only true in those new to resistance training.

This is because the body adapts to the demand of training. But the story is different in endurance sports, where protein can be overlooked.

It’s widely known that consumption of sufficient protein within the diet is necessary to help recover from the oxidative protein losses associated with endurance exercise. But what are the implications for triathletes?

Consuming protein is an important part of any athlete’s diet; current recommendations state around 1.2-1.8g/kg bodyweight (BW)/day protein for endurance sports.

For a 60kg athlete, this is in the region of 72-108g a day dependent on your training. More recently it’s been suggested that the body utilises this protein more efficiently if it’s spread out through the day.

I recommend 0.3-0.4g/kg BW protein at meals, which is in the region of 20-25g for most individuals, with 10-15g portions as snacks 1-3 times a day, based on their training and body composition goals.

Protein is also useful to aid recovery as it enhances the re-synthesis of glycogen in preparation for your next training session.

Protein flapjacks recipe

Practical tips

20g of protein at meals is equivalent to:

200g portion of Greek (style) yoghurt
Pack of card size portion of fish, meat or chicken
3 medium eggs
1 pint of milk
100g nuts

Some good 10g protein snacks include:

A matchbox size portion of cheese with an apple
300ml flavoured milk
100g edamame beans
50g almonds
30g peanut butter
100g Greek (style) yoghurt with berries and honey

But what about the recovery window we often hear about? And does it matter what type or form of protein is consumed? Some say that if you don’t recover within that 20-minute window post-training, something awful is going to happen.

So is this based on truth or just a marketing ploy by sports nutrition brands for you to purchase recovery products? The answer depends on numerous factors:

What intensity training session have you completed?
How long was the session?
When are you going to train next?
When are you going to eat your next meal?

Session 1 If your last session was a high-intensity track session in the evening and this is followed by a steady swim the next morning, it’s likely that there’ll be less than 12hrs for recovery between sessions. This means it’ll be difficult for your body to replenish glycogen stores within that time frame. In this case, the 20min window’s key. By choosing to recover quickly you’ll give your body a better chance of training well in the morning.

Recovery Ideally make your recovery a liquid choice to aid hydration, composed of easily digested protein and readily absorbed carbohydrate. A smart option is milk or flavoured milk, which provides carbohydrate in the form of lactose, and protein in the form of whey and casein.

Session 2 If your session was a high-intensity track session but you’re not going to train again for the next 24hrs, then this gives you opportunity to recover and refuel through meals and snacks.

Recovery Aim to consume a recovery meal within 2hrs of finishing your training session. Start to hydrate as soon as possible, especially if your losses have been high. As this may be late, choose something that’s quick and convenient to prepare – eggs on toast with a glass of milk is an ideal option.

Session 3 If your last session was between meals and there’s over 2hrs until your next meal, consuming a recovery snack is recommended.

Recovery If your next session is high-intensity, make it carb-based with a small amount of protein – e.g. a fruit smoothie or two slices of malt loaf with a glass of milk.

Session 4 As above but if followed by alow-to-moderate or a recovery session.

Recovery Make it protein-focused to help with satiety and also to provide essential amino acids to help repair your muscles. Greek yoghurt with fruit and honey is a perfect choice.

Top tips for protein consumption

Follow the below suggestions for optimum recovery to cover every time of day and timing of your next session.

IN-BETWEEN SESSIONS

Milk or flavoured milk is an ideal post-race recovery option for that crucial ’20-minute’ window, providing hydration, carbs and protein.

DAY-LONG RECOVERY

Eat within 2hrs of your last session and choose something simple to prepare – eggs on toast with a glass of milk, for example.

BETWEEN MEALS 1

If your next set is high-intensity opt for carb-based snacks with a small amount of protein – a fruit smoothie or malt loaf with milk.

BETWEEN MEALS 2

If your next session is low to moderate opt for protein-based snacks, such as Greek yoghurt with fruit and honey.

About

Renee McGregor (BSc (hons) PGDIP (DIET) PGCERT(sportsnutr) RD BASES) is a leading sports dietitian, specialising in eating disorders, REDs, The Female Athlete, athlete health and performance. Her practice and knowledge is supported by extensive experience of working in both clinical and performance nutrition, including Olympic (London, 2012), Paralympic (Rio, 2016) and Commonwealth (Queensland, 2018) teams. She is presently working with a number of national governing bodies, including Scottish Gymnastics, The GB 24 hour Running squad, Scottish Ballet, Women’s Reading Football and England National Ballet. She has also provided CPD to The Welsh Institute of Sport and Sports Institute, Northern Ireland. On top of this Renee is the diet lead for global ultra-marathon events series Ultra X, part of the Stylist Strong Women series and an ambassador for Bath MIND Charity. She is regularly asked to work directly with high performing and professional athletes that have developed a dysfunctional relationship with food that's impacting their performance, health and career. No matter who she is working with, whether that’s elite, club-level athletes or those with a dysfunctional relationship with food and training, compassion and care is always central to her practice. She provides a person-centred, holistic approach. She's the best-selling author of Training Food, Fast Fuel books. and Orthorexia, When Healthy Eating Goes Bad. She is the co-founder and director of #TRAINBRAVE a campaign raising the awareness of eating disorders in sport; providing resources and practical strategies to reduce the prevalence. In 2020, in order to increase accessibility to her knowledge and experience she started The Trainbrave Podcast and had over 40,000 downloads in its first year. She is on the REDS advisory board for BASES (The British Association of Sport and Exercise Science) and sits on the International Task Force for Orthorexia. Renee has been invited to speak at several high profile events including The European Eating Disorder Society Annual Conference as the UK expert in Orthorexia, Cheltenham Literature Festival, Cheltenham Science Festival, The Stylist Show and Google. She writes for many national publications and is often asked to comment in the national press. She regularly contributes to radio and TV, including News night and BBC 5 Live. On top of this Renee recently appeared on BBC to support as a diet lead in Freddie Flintoff’s ‘Living with Bulimia’ documentary.