Study confirms that protein intake after strength training hugely beneficial

Dutch researches were particularly emphatic about protein intake in older runners in order to maintain muscle mass.

Some studies are earth-shattering revelations that turn everything we know about something on its head. Other studies, well, just seem like they are verifying common sense.

A recent study regarding protein consumption and strength training would fit nicely in the latter camp.

A group of researchers at the Maastircht University Medical Centre of the Netherlands verified that consuming a small amount of protein immediately following resistance type strength training produces better results with muscle growth.

Naomi Cermak, the leader of the study, actually analyzed the results of 22 separate studies that assessed the muscle re-synthesis in 680 individuals of all ages. What she found was that those that took a protein supplement after working out had significant improvement over those that didn’t. Furthermore, older subjects seemed to respond best. The subjects over the age of 50 showed non-fat weight increase and leg press strength of 38% and 33% respectively compared to the control groups.

Cermak specializes in sports nutrition related research and is an endurance athlete herself, competing in triathlons in Ontario while doing her doctoral research at McMaster University in Hamilton.

The findings of this study are potentially very significant for older runners, as losing muscle mass and strength becomes a serious problem as we age, resulting in slower times and great potential for injury.

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