{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T06:06:17Z","timestamp":1787983577162,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,5]],"date-time":"2021-03-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1614902400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We assessed whether a protein supplementation protocol could attenuate running-induced muscle soreness and other muscle damage markers compared to iso-caloric placebo supplementation. A double-blind randomized controlled trial was performed among 323 recreational runners (age 44 \u00b1 11 years, 56% men) participating in a 15-km road race. Participants received milk protein or carbohydrate supplementation, for three consecutive days post-race. Habitual protein intake was assessed using 24 h recalls. Race characteristics were determined and muscle soreness was assessed with the Brief Pain Inventory at baseline and 1\u20133 days post-race. In a subgroup (n = 149) muscle soreness was measured with a strain gauge algometer and creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentrations were measured. At baseline, no group-differences were observed for habitual protein intake (protein group: 79.9 \u00b1 26.5 g\/d versus placebo group: 82.0 \u00b1 26.8 g\/d, p = 0.49) and muscle soreness (protein: 0.45 \u00b1 1.08 versus placebo: 0.44 \u00b1 1.14, p = 0.96). Subjects completed the race with a running speed of 12 \u00b1 2 km\/h. With the Intention-to-Treat analysis no between-group differences were observed in reported muscle soreness. With the per-protocol analysis, however, the protein group reported higher muscle soreness 24 h post-race compared to the placebo group (2.96 \u00b1 2.27 versus 2.46 \u00b1 2.38, p = 0.039) and a lower pressure muscle pain threshold in the protein group compared to the placebo group (71.8 \u00b1 30.0 N versus 83.9 \u00b1 27.9 N, p = 0.019). No differences were found in concentrations of CK and LDH post-race between groups. Post-exercise protein supplementation is not more preferable than carbohydrate supplementation to reduce muscle soreness or other damage markers in recreational athletes with mostly a sufficient baseline protein intake running a 15-km road race.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13030858","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,5]],"date-time":"2021-03-05T11:46:09Z","timestamp":1614944769000},"page":"858","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["The Effect of Protein Supplementation versus Carbohydrate Supplementation on Muscle Damage Markers and Soreness Following a 15-km Road Race: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2482-6395","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dominique S. M.","family":"ten Haaf","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2800-6645","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martin A.","family":"Flipsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4866-7368","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Astrid M. H.","family":"Horstman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"FrieslandCampina, 3811 LP Amersfoort, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6082-9043","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hans","family":"Timmerman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands"},{"name":"Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monique A. H.","family":"Steegers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands"},{"name":"Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center Location VU, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2778-2789","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lisette C. P. G. M.","family":"de Groot","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0747-4471","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thijs M. H.","family":"Eijsvogels","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria T. E.","family":"Hopman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands"},{"name":"Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1983","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2018.16070","article-title":"New Physical Activity Guidelines: A Call to Activity for Clinicians and Patients","volume":"320","author":"Thompson","year":"2018","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1093\/bmb\/ldm014","article-title":"Creatine kinase monitoring in sport medicine","volume":"81\u201382","author":"Brancaccio","year":"2007","journal-title":"Br. Med. 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