Women, Exercise and Protein
Stuart Houltham (back left) and David Rowlands (back right) in the lab, with Margot Southgate on the bike (image: R. Beran)
Eating protein after strenuous exercise can improve athletic performance in men. Previous studies by Massey University’s David Rowland have shown that men who ingest protein after two sessions of hard interval cycling increase overall performance by 4%, a huge competitive advantage.
But what about women? A preliminary study seems to indicate that women do not receive the same benefits as men from consuming protein after hard exercise. While most exercise studies are conducted in men, Masters student Stuart Houltham is conducting a follow-up habituated study with female cyclists to determine if these initial study results in women can be replicated, and if so provide some recommendations on how much protein women should eat to gain a benefit after exercise.
