{"id":62281,"date":"2025-08-11T20:32:03","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T20:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/62281\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T20:32:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T20:32:03","slug":"how-much-protein-do-cyclists-need-experts-reveal-the-real-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/62281\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Protein Do Cyclists Need? Experts Reveal the Real Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tires<\/a> inflated? Check. Water bottle? Check. Brakes<\/a> working? Check. Postride protein snack? If you didn\u2019t check this off your list, then it\u2019s time to pay attention to your re-fueling strategy<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Whether training for a race or simply going out for a casual ride, protein should be a part of every cyclist\u2019s eating plan, Lauren Antonucci, RDN, a board-certified specialist in sports nutrition with Nutrition Energy<\/a> in New York tells Bicycling.
<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because physical activity breaks down our muscles<\/a> and in order to build them back up, we need protein<\/a>. \u201cFitness is all about breakdown and rebuild,\u201d says Chris Newport, RDN, a dietitian with The Endurance Edge<\/a> in Cary, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

You already know what breakdown and recovery<\/a> feels like, too: soreness, aches, and fatigue<\/a>. \u201cWithout enough protein after your ride, recovery will suffer,” says Antonucci, who is also the author of High Performance Nutrition for Masters Athletes<\/a>. <\/p>\n

While postride carbs<\/a> replenish your body with energy, \u201cprotein helps our bodies to repair muscle damage and maximize what sports nutritionists call \u2018muscle protein synthesis,\u2019\u201d she adds. That is, the way your body utilizes the protein in food to build muscle<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Protein doesn\u2019t only support muscle building either. You also need it for healthy bones<\/a>, an efficient metabolism, reduced risk of high blood pressure<\/a>, and it simply leaves you satisfied after a meal. In other words, this macronutrient doesn\u2019t only support athletic performance, but your daily life and health.<\/p>\n

So how much protein per day do you need to gain these benefits? Do you need more after your workouts to support recovery<\/a> and performance<\/a>? We asked the experts to break it down so you get enough of the macronutrient to build your muscles back up. <\/p>\n

How much protein do you need as a cyclist?<\/p>\n

According to the Institute of Medicine<\/a>, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is approximately 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight. However, once you add in age and workouts, that recommendation is merely a minimum. <\/p>\n

The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for protein, according to the USDA, is 10 to 35 percent of total daily calories. The USDA typically uses a daily calorie count of 2,000 as its primary example, which means a person should aim for 200 to 700 protein calories per day or about 50 to 175 grams. <\/p>\n

Clearly, though, that is a wide range and, therefore, a rough estimate of what a cyclist needs to eat every day. <\/p>\n

Also, those who are more active need more protein. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations, athletes should consume 0.7 to 1.1 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to maintain muscle mass. This recommendation holds for both strength and endurance athletes. However, the upper range applies during times of more frequent and high-intensity training. <\/p>\n

Athletes aren\u2019t the only population that needs more of the muscle-supporting macronutrient\u2014older adults may benefit from upping their intake, too. The average person begins to lose muscle mass around the age of 30. So, even non-active individuals should consider increasing their protein intake as they get older, as studies have shown that eating more protein, along with strength training<\/a>, can fight age-related muscle loss<\/a>. <\/p>\n

In fact, a 2022 Nutrients<\/a> article suggested that older adults focus on a total daily protein intake of 0.7 to 0.8 grams per pound of bodyweight (or 1.6 to 1.8 per kilogram) per day for muscle mass maintenance. Again, though, this is a wide variation and depends on how active you are each day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to be as you got older, you lose power, you lose muscle,\u201d says Antonucci. \u201cWell, that\u2019s all wrong. [Now we know], if we continue to train, and if we eat enough protein, which as it turns out is more than previously thought, we have the potential to maintain a high percentage of muscle mass and power and strength.\u201d
<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the USDA has an easy-to-use, online Dietary Reference Intake Calculator <\/a>to help you figure out your specific protein (and other nutrient) needs. To this point, the calculator will ask about your age and exercise habits. <\/p>\n

How should you time your protein intake for max benefits?<\/p>\n

The longer and more intense a ride, the more protein you need afterward to optimize recovery\u2014and you should aim to get that protein about 30 minutes to two hours after you\u2019re done pedaling, Newport says. In that time frame, aim for about 30 grams of protein (along with carbs<\/a>!). <\/p>\n

While it\u2019s important to get protein soon after a workout to help boost recovery and rebuild muscles, getting protein throughout the day is still important. According to the USDA<\/a>, we should aim for about 25 to 30 grams at each meal.<\/p>\n

One more thing: You might want to up your protein intake in the morning<\/a>. A 2021 study<\/a> published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that eating protein in the morning was more beneficial for muscle mass in older adults, compared to eating protein later in the day or evening. The researchers theorized that metabolism may make better use of the protein throughout the day. Also, prioritizing protein early in the day helps to ensure that you\u2019ll reach your overall daily goals. <\/p>\n

What are the best sources of protein to meet your needs? <\/p>\n

All those numbers about protein are only useful if we can translate them into meals we want to eat. While you can turn to animal products like turkey, chicken, beef, pork, or fish to get your fill, there are also vegetarian and vegan protein options, such as beans, legumes, and combinations of plant-based foods and grains (like rice and beans, which provides all the essential amino acids you need to make a complete protein). <\/p>\n

These days, many experts say it is possible to get enough protein without having to eat animal products. In fact, a 2019 Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine study published in the journal Nutrients<\/a> found that plant-based proteins may be better for athletes because they also contain fiber<\/a> and complex carbohydrates that help to restock glycogen<\/a>, which gives your muscles energy for riding.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re aiming for about 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal, Newport suggests having a protein smoothie with Greek yogurt<\/a> (16 grams protein per container) and protein powder (about 25 grams protein per scoop), plus your favorite flavorful ingredients like bananas, greens, berries, and\/or nut butters. <\/p>\n

Overnight oats are another option, Antonucci says. One cup of oats<\/a> has about 11 grams of protein, plus adding nuts like almonds (5 grams of protein per \u00bc-cup sliced) or peanut butter<\/a> (7 grams of protein per two tablespoons), chia seeds (5 grams of protein per ounce), and milk (4 grams of protein per \u00bd cup) can help you get enough of the macronutrient, too. <\/p>\n

To count your daily protein intake, you can use apps such as MyMacros<\/a> or the USDA<\/a> list of protein foods. However, Antonucci says don\u2019t obsess over this. Instead, look at the big picture of making sure you have a serving of protein in every meal and snack. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tires inflated? Check. Water bottle? Check. Brakes working? Check. Postride protein snack? If you didn\u2019t check this off…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62282,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,12322,635,6747,82],"class_list":["post-62281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-core","tag-cycling","tag-service","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}