Eat To Grow: Running On Empty

University of Connecticut scientists compared high levels of protein intake (3.6 grams per kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of bodyweight) to lower levels of protein intake (1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight) in five endurance runners. The subjects on both the high- and low-protein regimens ate foods containing the same number of calories; only the protein content differed. The results showed that those in the higher-protein group had less muscle protein breakdown than the lower-protein-intake group. IM