Protein

Rapid recovery after exercise is vital if you train regularly and want to get the most from your exercise... more

The time you take to recover after exercise is as important as the exercise itself. Recovery is the ability to restore exercise capacity, or more simply, get the body back to where it was before exercise.

Muscles require protein to help them recover and adapt. This section provides you with theory and key tips on protein intake that will help improve your performance and give you an edge.

This graph provides key tips for tailoring protein intake for sport.

The improvements in fitness that occur as a result of training follow what is known as the 'Supercompensation Principle'. Exercise stresses the body below baseline, after which the body recovers to its initial level of fitness (baseline) plus a "little more". The "little more" is known as supercompensation. As the human body is an adjustable organism, it will feel the need to adjust itself to a higher level of fitness in anticipation of the next training session. If you can time the next training session within the supercompensation period, the body will advance to a higher level of fitness.

Protein is a key nutritional component for successful athletic performance. The ability of the muscle to recover and adapt is based on the balance between muscle growth (protein synthesis) and breakdown (protein breakdown).

Protein consumption is proven to increase protein synthesis especially in combination with exercise, aiding the recovery of muscle tissue.

I train twice a day, and when I’m competing I’ll race up to four times in two days. This can be very demanding, both physically and mentally. To be at my best it is vital to ensure that I fully recover between sessions.

Lizzie Neave - GB Canoeist