Protein Sports Drink May Boost Endurance reports on a study that compared Accelerade, a sports drink with whey protein, to Gatorade, which contains no protein, just carbs:
Saunders and his colleagues tested the sports drinks by having trained cyclists pedal a stationary bike to the point of exhaustion while replenishing with either the protein-added or carb-only drink every 15 minutes. The athletes performed a second, more demanding ride the next day. One to two weeks later, they went through the process again, this time with the other drink.Saunders’ team found that the men lasted 29 percent longer during the first test and 40 percent longer during the second test when they drank the protein-containing drink.
There were also signs of less exercise-induced muscle damage, according to the researchers. After the exercise tests, the cyclists’ blood levels of creatine phosphokinase — an enzyme released from muscles under stress — were lower when they consumed protein during the workout.