According to findings from researchers at the McMaster University, addition of proteins to sport drinks does not help an endurance athlete run faster, a myth that was believed till now.

The involved researchers found that when protein is added to sport drinks, the cycling time trial performance is not enhanced when compared to intake of sport drinks alone. It was remarked that sport drinks are useful because of carbohydrates (necessary fuel for body’s working muscles) and sodium (maintenance of fluid balance). These findings were revealed by Martin Gibala, an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at McMaster.

From News-Medical.Net:

“Previous studies that suggested protein was beneficial used ‘ride to exhaustion’ tests that do not resemble normal athletic competition. In addition, the subjects in those studies received less than the optimal recommended amount of carbohydrate,” says Gibala. “Our study shows that protein confers no performance benefit during ‘real life’ exercise when athletes consume sufficient amounts of a sports drink.”

The study, which was funded by Gatorade, comes at a time when the sports drink industry is under pressure to create new products by adding ingredients that might further enhance performance. Some companies have heavily marketed protein-laced sports drinks as the next magic bullet, but Gibala’s research disputes such claims.

It was remarked by Gibala that there was no solid evidence that came before to suggest a hint that athletes need protein during exercise sessions though a little amount of protein can prove useful for repairing damaged muscles and promotion of training adaptations.

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