Protein is the cornerstone macro for building muscle. It is a key ingredient in building a strong runner. We all need to take in good, lean protein in order to maintain a healthy body.

When to consume protein:

When we consume our protein is as important as how much. There are three main times when we should make that extra effort to consume lean protein:

1. After a race where we exerted an extreme effort
2. After a long run
3. After a hard training session

Although it is important all day, and it provides a benefit to your body, these are the most critical times. When racing or working your bodies hard, you break down muscle. Then with good rest and lean protein, your body builds back the muscle stronger than it was. That is called adaptation. It is a critical process in improving in any sport.

There is so much advice around as to how much protein an athlete should consume each day. My personal recommendation is to get at least 75% in grams of your body weight in pounds. So if someone weighs 120lbs, they should get 90g of lean protein every day. A 200lb runner should get 150g.

Combine this with healthy fats and complex carbohydrates and it’s a recipe to improve your running