Boning Up On Endurance Recovery

Protein helps kick start muscle recovery after a session in the weight room and carbohydrates are the recovery nutrient of choice following endurance training. An interesting study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows what can be accomplished with a combination of both.
 
On 3 separate occasions, researchers had male subjects in their late 20s run on a treadmill at 75% of exercise capacity until exhausted. They received either placebo immediately after and 2 hours after training, a carb-protein supplement immediate after with placebo 2 hours later or placebo immediately after with the carb-protein blend 2 hours later.
 
Compared to the other conditions, consuming 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight with 0.5 grams of whey protein per kilogram of body weight helps decrease bone resorption while increasing bone formation leading to a more positive balance of bone turnover. For a 145 pound subject, the supplement would contain 98.5 grams of carbs and 32.8 grams of whey protein.