Protein in Urine After Exercise

Nicole Valentine
Nicole Valentine
November 7, 2024
5
min read
Medically reviewed by:
Jennie Stanford
Protein in Urine After Exercise
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You're probably familiar with the many ways that exercise affects the body. But did you know your urine contains elevated protein levels after a vigorous workout? Learn how urine protein test strips let you monitor your workout intensity and exercise adaptation so you can get the most out of your workouts.

Post-Exercise Proteinuria

It's normal for healthy individuals to pass about 150-200 mg of protein into their urine each day. Higher urine protein levels, known as proteinuria, often signal disease in the body. However, temporary proteinuria is an expected and usually harmless consequence of intense exercise [1].

The exact mechanism of post-exercise proteinuria (PEP) isn't known, although it's likely to result from some combination of the hormonal, metabolic, and inflammatory changes caused by intense physical activity [2]. Some experts believe that the changes in kidney blood flow that occur with intense physical activity lead to increased permeability of blood vessel walls, allowing protein to leak into urine [3].

There are two phases of PEP. Initially, your body releases protein into the urine about 30 minutes after a workout. In the second phase, which occurs about 24 hours later, your body releases more protein, although this time, only albumin, a protein made by your liver, is excreted. Generally, within 24-48 hours, all excess protein will have cleared from your urine, and you can expect to see baseline protein levels if you're monitoring with protein in urine test strips at home [1].

Protein levels in urine spike shortly after exercise and again 24 hours later, but typically return to baseline within 48 hours, which you can monitor with at-home test strips.
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At-Home Testing

PEP is triggered by moderate and strenuous workouts. It's usually intensity-dependent and more likely to result from short, high-intensity exercise than long, low-intensity workouts. However, it can also occur after extremely long and taxing workouts, such as marathons and ultramarathons [1][2]. So, if you're interested in using biomarkers to monitor your workout intensity, a home test for protein in urine can provide insights into how hard your body has worked, indicating whether your workout reached the moderate-to-strenuous level.

To test for PEP, use protein urine test strips immediately before and 30 minutes after your workout. The pre-exercise test will give you your baseline reading, which you can compare with the post-exercise results. PEP occurs in both untrained and seasoned athletes, so you can use protein testing no matter what shape you're currently in [1]. However, individuals whose bodies have adapted to the physical demands of exercise usually see their protein levels return to baseline faster, so periodically performing 24-hour urine protein testing can help you understand how well trained your body is and how well it has adapted to the physical demands of your workouts over time [3].

Whether you're just starting an exercise program or you're an experienced athlete looking to optimize your performance, monitoring post-exercise proteinuria provides essential information about the intensity levels of your workouts and how well your body is adapting to the stresses of intense exercise. Diagnox's urine protein test strips are a convenient and affordable way to monitor your workouts so you can reach your peak performance. The individually packaged strips are easy to toss into your gym bag for clinically accurate results at home or on the go.

References

[1] F. Saeed, P. Naga Pavan, K. Devaki, L. Mahendrakar, and J.L. Holley, “Exercise-Induced Proteinuria?The Journal of Family Practice, vol. 61, no. 1, p. 23-26, January, 2012. [Accessed November 2, 2024].

[2] W. Wolyniec, W. Ratkowski, K. Kasprowicz, S. Malgorzewica, E. Aleksandrowicz, T. Zdrojewski, L. Wjerucki, A. Puch-Walczak, P. Zmijewski, and M. Rendke, “Factors Influencing Post-Exercise Proteinuria After Marathon and Ultramarathon Races,” Biology of Sport, vol. 37, no. 1, p. 33-40, March, 2020. [Accessed November 2, 2024].

[3] Z. Wochynski and K. Sobiech, “Post-Exercise Proteinuria in the Cadets Trained on Special Aerial Gymnastics Instruments,” International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, vol. 28, no. 5, p. 863-873, 2015. [Accessed November 2, 2024].

About the Author
Nicole Valentine

Nicole Valentine is a blog and article writer with experience writing about a huge array of topics. She is passionate about sustainability, healthy living, and mindful parenting.

About the Reviewer
This blog was
Medically reviewed by:
Jennie Stanford
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