DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
It's an interesting study. Here's what I get from reading the scientific paper (my opinion and by no means a robust analysis):
9 total subjects enrolled in the study
2 never completed anything
1 only did one test and then dropped out
1 only did two tests and then dropped out
Thus, the majority of the data is based on 5 individuals (although they claim 6 because they include the one with two tests)
The people participating are tiny. They are average weight of 142 lb males, age 28, with a 12% body fat, and are about 5'8". Their average VO2max is 60, which puts them into the upper end of endurance athletes. So, they're gifted endurance athletes who are small and fit. Surprisingly they range in average distance per week from 28 miles to 80 miles (self-reported) which is a huge range for just 5 participants.
The test protein was administered in hourly doses so to induce a better protein absorption rate. The body can tolerate about 20-30 g protein per hour in consumption. Beyond that consumption rate, protein mostly is discarded or stored as fat and not useful to the body. The subjects were on 8-9 g carb/kg bw/day diet as well. That seems incredibly high to me.
The authors note that because females have a lower reliance on amino acid oxidation as a fuel source due to estrogen, that these results may not be applicable.
Looking at the graphical representation of the data shows @BuckeyeBama 's point that everyone is an individual. Because the conclusion is 1.65-1.83 g protein/kg body weight/day, but looking at the data set you can see points of data at 0.9-1.1 in the same relative range as the values received in the 1.7-3.0 range.
Overall conclusion, a study based on very few male subjects that fit the mold of small endurance athletes who are highly gifted with a wide range of weekly mileage. Subjects on an incredibly high carb intake diet which might influence their final conclusion. And with all that being said, while there is a trend towards higher protein giving better output in the parameters they analyzed, the individual data points show that there definitely can be outliers. Final conclusion - Needs more data.
For me personally, I consume about 1.8-2.1 g protein/kg body weight/day and 5.3-6.6 g carbs/kg body weight/day. I believe the consumption rate of protein is the critical step in this process.
My best half-marathon times have come in a race that is usually 4 weeks after the Disney Marathon. Just do a nice recovery for a couple weeks and ramp up a little on the long run and it works. Although it is not a difficult course.
