Since racing season is in full swing, I thought I’d share my latest recipe for condensed liquid calories and protein. There’s been a lot of debate on the benefits of protein during endurance events. While many products extol the virtues, most research has not found a
direct link between protein and enhanced performance. One may think the calories from the fat and protein eaten while running provides energy, but that’s not the case. Our bodies have enough stored fat to provide energy at low to moderate intensities, and ideally we should not be burning protein for fuel. For higher intensities, carbohydrate is the fuel of choice. We usually have only 60-90 minutes of stored carbohydrate in the muscles (i.e. glycogen) at our disposal. Any additional carbohydrate needs to come from food we ingest. So, from a scientific view we really only need to eat or drink carbohydrate for optimal energy levels.
So why might we want to eat protein and fat while exercising? Why do we crave the fat and protein on long runs? Although the jury is still out, I have found protein and fat to be beneficial during ultra endurance events (i.e. those lasting 3+ hours) for the following reasons:
1. Fat and protein give a feeling of satiety.
2. The presence of protein and fat lower the glycemic index (sugar spike effect) of carbohydrates.
3. They break up the carbohydrate taste bud monotony. We all know that eating carbs in the form of gels and drinks can get old, so the protein and fat can refresh the palette.
During racing and training, I always make sure I consume enough carbohydrates every 20-30 minutes and I have found it helpful to incorporate protein and fat. I prefer to get those from whole foods such as bean & rice burritos, energy bars, and liquids (i.e. shake or smoothie) regularly throughout a race. Over the years, I’ve used a drink called “Balanced” that no longer was available due to the company reformulating the product. I was forced to find an alternative protein “meal in a can” drink. A number of people use “meal in a can” drinks like Boost and Ensure that contain dairy and lesser quality ingredients. So I went to the labratory (aka my kitchen) to create my own vegan concoction.
There are many protein powders on the market, but I use Jarrow Soy Essence because it is less processed, non GMO, and fermented for better digestibility. And it tastes good and easily dissolves into most liquids!
Protein On the Run
2 tablespoons Jarrow Soy Essence Protein Powder
8 oz rice milk*
Combine ingredients and shake, blend or whisk until smooth.
If you want to add more carbohydrate calories, add 1 tablespoon of agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or other sweetener. Other options include ½ banana or 1-2 dates. For more sodium, add ¼ sea salt.
* making your own rice milk is easy and reduces the waste produced from containers.
1 cup of cooked white or brown rice
3 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon agave nectar, brown rice syrup or other sweetener
Combine ingredients in blender and blend for 2 minutes until smooth. If the texture is grainy, strain through cheesecloth or fine strainer.
