Running is rarely associated with whey protein. However, contrary to popular belief, protein supplementation is common practice among endurance athletes at the highest level, and increasingly among amateurs.
So why do fitness trainers and coaches encourage their athletes to consume a protein powder?
We'll take a brief look at the reasons behind this choice, and then introduce you to the whey best suited to running and other endurance sports of this type.
Whey and running: a winning duo?
Few running enthusiasts consider taking whey. Many of these athletes believe that consuming a protein powder will only add muscle mass.
In truth, however, it's not really whey itself that triggers mass gain. Physical effort, and more specifically strength training, is specifically at the heart of this process.
In the case of running, we're talking about endurance exercise. Here, whey consumption will not lead to significant mass gain, but above all to an improvement in the ratio of fat mass to lean mass, and an improvement in performance, as shown in a study entitled "Whey Protein Improves Marathon-Induced Injury and Exercise Performance in Elite Track Runners" (1).
In this study, scientists found that distances covered in maximal effort were significantly increased in athletes supplemented with whey, compared to the placebo group, after 4 weeks of supplementation.
Overall, whey promotes better physiological adaptation to running and reduces post-training injuries. These beneficial effects don't just apply to top-level athletes, but also to amateur runners. For a more comprehensive analysis, see our articles on the best whey for beginners and for professional athletes.
Several biological mechanisms explain these results. By consuming whey after training, runners supply their bodies with essential amino acids and BCAAs. These help repair the damage sustained by muscles after exercise.
Remember that endurance sports, weight training and other physical activities lead to the "destruction" of the most fragile muscle fibers. By "repairing" these lesions, or rather reconstituting the damaged tissue, the body strengthens the affected muscle. This repair is impossible without proteins and therefore amino acids. As a result, athletes can suffer from a variety of minor muscular injuries, such as muscle soreness, or even more serious damage. That's why whey protein provides these essential nutrients, and thus reduces potential post-training injuries.
A 2007 study entitled "Branched-chain amino acid supplementation and indicators of muscle damage after endurance exercise" (2) highlights this phenomenon, specifically for BCAAs, the branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) contained in large quantities in whey. This study shows that BCAA supplementation can reduce muscle damage after endurance exercise.
On the other hand, providing amino acids after endurance effort also helps to save muscle. After an endurance effort, in response to low blood sugar levels, the body can use muscle amino acids for gluconeogenesis (by hydrolysis of muscle proteins). This inexorably leads to muscle wasting and fatigue. Supplying amino acids helps limit this.
Note: post-endurance carbohydrates are also very important, particularly for replenishing glycogen stores.
In short: the amino acids provided by whey help to limit damage to muscles, and at the same time accelerate the healing of micro-injuries caused by exercise. The result is improved muscle recovery. The result is improved endurance, thanks to the progressive strengthening and adaptation of muscles, race after race.
Now that the benefits of taking a dietary supplement have been established, you can continue the article to learn how to choose a suitable whey or read our advice on integrating whey into your diet for physical preparation or which protein to take in cycling?
Why choose whey over other protein powders?
Whey protein differs from other products and protein powders in its composition and unprocessed nature. It consists of mechanically filtered milk whey. It is protein-rich and highly bioavailable.
Assimilation is rapid, and the body can absorb it much more quickly. This makes it ideal for post-workout supplementation.
Whey protein
Classic range - optimal recovery ✅
- Sugar equivalent of half an apple
- Organic, unrefined, wholegrain sugar
- Minimum carbohydrates to complement protein
Available in packs of 3 to 4.5 kg
By turning to another high-protein dietary supplement, absorption would be much slower (as in the case of casein, for example), and the amino acid composition would be less optimal in terms of EAA and BCAA (as in the case of plant proteins). So, in the end, supplementation may not be so beneficial for muscle recovery. For more details on protein assimilation, see our article on the difference and choice between whey and casein (and we cover the question of whey before training here and whey before sleep on this page).
In addition to a better amino acid and BCAA profile than other products on the market, whey is one of the best sources of leucine. In addition to its muscle-repair qualities, this amino acid is said to increase insulin sensitivity. At the same time, it improves glucose transport and storage in the liver and muscles. Glucose is, of course, the body's main source of energy.
A little aside: although whey is traditionally used for post-training, its high bioavailability combined with the presence of leucine means that it could even be consumed during exercise, for very long ultra-trail-type efforts. This would enable us to provide better support for muscles during exercise, enabling them to reach and maintain their full potential.
Please note! Taking amino acids during exercise has not yet been sufficiently documented, and is currently only an option for optimizing very long efforts (> 10h), with very high-level athletes. Amino acids require significant digestion (compared to simple carbohydrates), and can therefore have negative effects when taken during exercise.
For the vast majority of cases, we recommend taking whey post-training, after a short rest period (> 30 minutes depending on the intensity of the effort).
To take things a step further, if you'd like to make your own protein powder , here's our objective review of homemade whey.
Which whey should you choose for running?
At a time when sports nutrition has become a lucrative market, bodybuilders, runners and athletes of all kinds have a choice of wheys. For runners, the first thing to consider is the composition of the product, and look for wheys with a minimum of ingredients. Although whey is a natural dietary supplement, the products added by certain brands can have an impact on your body.
When making your choice, it's important to identify whey with no additives or sweeteners. An additive is a compound added to food products for technological and/or taste purposes, which has no nutritional value and in no way improves performance.
Additives are often chemically synthesized (aspartame, sucralose, synthetic flavors...), or extracted using solvents (lecithins, for example). In addition to the ecological consequences of industrial whey, although authorized in most countries of the world, there is currently no evidence in the scientific literature of the total harmlessness of synthetic sweeteners. Moreover, they are often criticized for their potential links with various metabolic diseases (diabetes, obesity), or for the relatively unknown safety profiles of their metabolites.
What's more, doping substances can sometimes be found mixed in with the additives. To make the right choice, athletes can also rely on labels certifying that dietary supplements and protein powders comply with anti-doping standards. On this subject, see our article entitled Is whey considered doping?
To avoid any unpleasant surprises, it's best to choose whey made in France, not from intensive farming, and certified free of additives and sweeteners. We also advise you to consult the reviews left by other athletes on the Internet.
Finally, unless they have a particular health problem (diabetes), runners should not seek out "no added sugar" products at all costs, bearing in mind that the body needs to replenish its glycogen stores after exercise.
For runners who want to dig deeper into the subject, we have an article dedicated to the question how to choose whey?
Good to know: when it comes to sports nutrition for running, the quality of food supplements is particularly important. However, we mustn't lose sight of the nutritional basis, which will always be diet. Supplementation will only be effective if it complements a healthy, balanced diet.
If you've already got your diet and fitness program down to a fine art, an additive-free whey can be a great ingredient to help you squeeze in those extra minutes! If you've made up your mind, here's how to take whey and when to consume your shaker.
Can I take whey after jogging?
Whey isn't just for building mass or recovering from major competitions. This dietary supplement is also aimed at runners and all those who start their day with a short jog.
A shaker of whey after your morning jog will help you recover much more quickly from the trauma of physical exertion. Even if these are less severe than after a split session, whey delivers valuable proteins that accelerate muscle fiber repair.
That said, it's not all about enjoying a high-protein drink. Properly prepared, this snack will invigorate you. A proper whey shaker isn't just a bit of protein powder mixed with water or milk.
After a run, you should also add a source of carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores. By replenishing glycogen stores, the feeling of fatigue will fade more quickly.
Since supplementation is a long-term process, you need to be particularly careful about the composition of the whey you choose.
Avoid protein powders with a long list of additives. These ingredients may not be totally harmless. They can lead to various metabolic disorders, such as sweeteners. Succralose, the most commonly used sweetener, is said to increase the risk of diabetes and overweight (3).
Progress in running: more than just nutrition
Running and trail fans know that progress is the result of a balance between training, nutrition and equipment. And in these 3 categories, things are changing, and fast!
If you want to keep up to date and discover new products on a regular basis, we recommend the Athletes Running Club box. Every 2 months, this young French company prepares a small box containing textile products, new sports nutrition, technical accessories and even skincare products.
Further information
If you'd like to delve deeper into the subject of nutrition, and whey protein in particular, you may be interested in these articles:
Which protein powder for swimmers?
The best whey protein for boxing and MMA
Why take whey?
Which protein to choose for rugby?
The best whey for field hockey players
Which whey protein for crossFiters?
How many whey shakers should you take?
Which protein powder to choose for soccer?
And finally, runners need everything but uncontrolled weight gain. We cover this in our article entitled Does whey make you fat?
Our sources for this article:
1 Whey Protein Improves Marathon-Induced Injury and Exercise Performance in Elite Track Runners by Huang et al - 2017
2 Branched-chain amino acid supplementation and indicators of muscle damage after endurance exercise by Greer et al - 2007
3Sucralose, A Synthetic Organochlorine Sweetener: Overview of Biological Issues by Susan S. Schiffman, Kristina I. Rother - 2013
