Here's the word on protein
I noticed it making up an increasingly greater percentage of a range of energy drinks lately when doing research for an upcoming sports drinks feature in Cycling Weekly. There's plenty of research into the benefits out there, this is from a recent issue of Peak Performance:
[color=#0000FF]Compared to the extensive research on carbohydrate beverages, there are relatively few studies examining the effects of adding protein to sports beverages. However, there is growing evidence that protein may be a worthwhile ingredient in the sports drinks of endurance athletes.At least three studies have been published in the past few years reporting that the consumption of carbohydrate-protein sports drinks improves cycling endurance. Researchers from the University of Texas examined cycling performance during three hours of varied-intensity cycling, intended to simulate competitive cycling conditions. Following this period, the athletes rode to exhaustion at a standardised intensity. The study participants rode significantly longer (26.9min) when receiving a carbohydrate-protein beverage, than when receiving carbohydrate-only (19.7min), with both sports beverages significantly outperforming a placebo beverage.Similarly, our Human Performance Laboratory (James Madison University, US) examined time-to-exhaustion performance in cyclists while consuming sports beverages(3). A group of male cyclists rode 29% longer when consuming a carbohydrate-protein beverage compared to a carbohydrate-only drink.[/color]
So in practical terms, get yourself along to Holland and Barrett or the weight lifting shop in Croydon, buy a huge tub of Whey Protein Isolate and stick a scoop in your bottle every time you go out.
Apart from performance benefits there are also health benefits from eating a little extra protein.
'Complete' protein - the kind you find in animal limbs, fish, poultry, eggs and stuff... contains each of the nine essential amino acids which supports your immune system amongst other important functions. 'Incomplete' protein, which you find in nuts, seeds and grains has one or more of these missing (vegetarians should be aware of this and use supplements).
Incomplete plant proteins can be combined to make 'complete' proteins though, rice and peas being a good example. Do not put rice and peas in your bottle!