Originally Posted by
Trakhak
Not really addressing Carbonfiberboy's post in particular, but several people have posted that they make sure to eat significant amounts of protein during longer rides. Which is fine for moderate-effort rides, no doubt. But digesting protein can be more taxing than digesting carbohydrates. At pro-level race speeds, concentrating predominantly on ingesting easy-to-digest carbohydrates makes sense.
In any event, from what I discovered via a search a minute ago, it seems that the pros riding the Tour de France confine their eating during each 5-to-7-hour stage mostly to, e.g., rice cakes, jam rolls, and energy bars and gels. Little to no protein, in other words.
Well, there is this:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21399532/
plus other similar studies. The thing to watch for in these sorts of studies is if the two concoctions being compared are isocaloric. My typical 200 Cal./hr drink is 14% protein, so that's 7g protein per hour. I doesn't seem like that's going to present any digestive difficulty, does it? I figure it's sorta like the idea that consuming carbs during a ride reduces the amount one needs to eat after a ride. Same thing with protein. Note that those pros drink a huge protein shake immediately after riding.
Other links:
https://marathonhandbook.com/how-to-...g-muscle-mass/
https://hammernutrition.com/blogs/en...w-much-protein