How Does Protein Reduce Muscle Damage?
There are two theories about how the addition of protein to a sports drink might reduce exercise-related muscle damage. The protein in the sports drink may be used as an extra source of energy during extended exercise, resulting in less breakdown of muscle proteins. The protein in the sports drink may also raise amino acid levels in the blood. Higher levels of blood amino acids have been shown to reduce muscle protein breakdown during exercise. Reduced muscle damage itself could explain why the cyclists given the carb-protein sports drink on day one were able to perform 40% better than their counterparts on day two. This idea is supported by the fact that the cyclists in the study who had the biggest reduction in muscle damage with Accelerade had the biggest increase in their cycling performance the next day. These results have important implications for athletes who train hard every day, and especially for those who often train twice daily. Using a carb-protein sports drink during exe
