RESTORING RIDERS’ MUSCLES WITH CNP PROPEPTIDE: TEAM SKY’S BEDTIME DRINK
After the rigours of a long day in the saddle, all riders need to replace the muscle protein damaged by hard efforts. Team Sky uses CNP ProPeptide to help with this essential recovery process.
Ben Swift shows the effort of a hard day at the Tour. Providing protein to the muscles is a vital part of recovery.
For many cyclists protein has long been a dirty word. Associations with bulked-up body-builders have ensured that protein is often accorded less significance in some cyclists’ nutritional regime than energy-giving carbohydrate. However, as Team Sky Head of Nutrition Nigel Mitchell explains, protein plays an essential role in aiding recovery after effort and repairing damaged muscle fibres.
“Cyclists have often taken their eye off the ball when it comes to protein,” says Mitchell. “They have tended to focus on carbs and not attached too much importance to protein at all. But fitness is driven at muscle level and protein plays an essential role in that. Of course, there is an association between protein and building muscle mass. But what all cyclists have to realise is that to increase their endurance they need to involve protein in the process.”
Mitchell’s view is backed up by Paul Riley, Marketing Manager at Team Sky’s nutritional partner, CNP, who explains that there is an easy way to work out how much protein is required on a daily basis. “You need approximately one gram of protein per pound of body weight spread throughout the day by consuming 4 , 5 or 6 small meals,” he says.
“Cyclists seem to think they just need carbohydrates and don’t need protein, because they believe it will bulk them up and that protein supplements are just for body builders,” Riley continues. “If it was that easy to get big muscles body builders would be laughing. But you’re simply not going to get them from using protein products in isolation. But they will help in the repairing of muscle from the trauma of cardiovascular training, or an event, which will improve muscular fitness allowing the rider to push further in training to improve cardiovascular fitness.
Mitchell has worked closely with CNP, who have produced a range of protein-based products to benefit Team Sky’s riders in different situations and times of day. One of these is ProPeptide, which the riders have as their milky drink of choice last thing at night.
Riley explains that the protein in ProPeptide is undenatured, which means that it has been pasteurised at a lower heat than milk but over a longer period than would be the case in the normal pasteurisation process. This means that more of the vital bioactive fractions are conserved, making it more efficient in boosting the recovery and repair process within damaged muscles.
“There’s a minimum heating requirement set down by the government that we adhere to, but by doing it at a lower temperature it’s a slower process but ensures that it’s higher in bioactive fractions, which aid muscle recovery. Using this undenatured protein in our products has been the basis of the company’s philosophy since it was established in 1998,” Riley says.
CNP’s protein products also have another clever aspect to them, as Mitchell reveals. “Experience has shown them that most protein products were whey-based, which meant that they were very fast-absorbing. That meant that they were very good at delivering protein to the body for an hour or so. But what CNP have done is to combine different types of protein together to produce a longer-lasting effect when it comes to delivering protein to the body. They are mixed whey protein, egg or albumin protein and casein protein so that athletes get a drip-feed of protein over a much longer period, boosting their recovery considerably.
“ProPeptide is one of those that combines different types of protein to produce a longer-lasting effect,” Mitchell adds. “We give it to the riders before they go to bed so that it can work while they are asleep. Because they are in a more anabolic state, the riders are recovering much more because they are not active. The ProPeptide feeds them with a mix of proteins over the course of the night, helping their muscles to recover and repair.”
Mitchell says he’s been pleased by the positive feedback he’s had from Team Sky’s riders about ProPeptide. As with all CNP’s products it is used with water, providing a thick and creamy “shake” that some would be forgiven for thinking had been mixed with milk.
“Some people do have the impression that protein products have to be taken with milk, but all of ours are designed to be taken with water,” Riley confirms. “You’re putting an inferior product into a quality product if you’re putting milk in. They’re nice and creamy anyway, so there’s no real reason to add milk into any of them.”
The original article can be read here - http://teamsky.cyclingnews.com/tech-features/cnp-propeptide-team-skys-bedtime-drink/
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