Eggs: The Ultimate Fitness Food?

All Your Nutrition Needs – And Delicious Too

It wasn’t too long ago that eggs were considered unhealthy. This was due to the comparatively high cholesterol levels. However, the attitude that this natural foodstuff is a ‘bad egg’ has now gone full circle.

Eggs are now seen as one of the healthiest foods and is perfect for fitness.

This guide covers eggs and their effect on fitness in depth. Below you will find exactly why eggs are good for you, when to eat them, and how to prepare eggs for maximum effect.

Eggs and Fitness: What Nutrients Does an Egg Contain?

Eggs are one of the most nutritious food types on the planet. Key here is the high protein to calorie ratio. This means you can effectively eat more eggs than other food stuffs – and have the same calorie intake.

In fact, the egg is used as the standard food for protein rating. They have a High Biological Value (HBV) of 100%, which is a measure of protein value.

Benefits change depending on whether you eat the white, yolk or both. If you eat a whole egg, including the white and the yolk, the egg will contain a variety of vitamins and minerals. They include vitamins A, D, B12, iron and zinc. All the essential amino acids are found within an egg. These include valine, isoleucine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, and tryptophan.

When is the Most Effective Time to Eat Eggs?

In the past, eggs were eaten as a pre-work out snack. Now, the popular advice states you should eat them sometime within a 2-hour window after your workout.

This gets the maximum benefits from the amino acids. They help repair and create new muscle tissue – exactly what is needed after your workout.

Mixing Eggs with Carbs?

Experts recommend a high-quality protein food such as an egg can be mixed with carbohydrates for that post workout meal. Carbohydrates can include potatoes, crackers, fruits. These will help to replenish the body’s glycogen levels (these get used by your body as fuel during a workout). This makes for the perfect combination with the muscle building/repairing protein.

Ideally, you’d want to intake around 15 to 25 grams of protein. Two eggs would usually take you to the upper limit of that range. In a recent study of male weight trainers who ate different amounts of eggs after a workout, the optimum amount was said to be 20 grams. This gave the greatest degree of muscle synthesis.

Eggs for Breakfast?

Eggs can be great for your health outside of a work-out window. Another study saw a group of women either eat eggs or bagels for breakfast, with the same calorific value for each. This study lasted for eight weeks and saw the egg-eating group lose 65% more body weight, 16% more body fat, have a 61% reduction in BMI and saw their wastes reduce in circumference by 34% more.

Healthiest Way to Consume an Egg?

One of the best aspects of eating eggs is the sheer variety of ways to eat it. While there are some delightful egg recipes to be had, keeping it simple is the purest and healthiest way to consume an egg.

Shorter and low heat cooking methods are said to be good, with poached or boiled eggs coming top of the list when it comes to healthy eating. If you do choose to fry your eggs, switch to healthy oils and fats (avoiding seed oils where possible).

Most Popular Ways to Eat Eggs

Here’s a look at many of the most popular ways to prepare an egg:

Boiled Eggs:

To prepare a boiled egg you should bring a pot of water to the boil. Then place the eggs inside once boiling for between 6 and 10 minutes. The runnier you like the yolk, the shorter the cooking time.

Fried Eggs:

Use a frying pan with a small layer of cooking oil and crack the eggs into the pan – fry till ready. Sunny side up eggs are those where the white of the egg is barely set and the yolk is raw, while over-easy eggs are flipped over to lightly sear the top of the egg.

Poached Eggs:

These are cooked in slightly cooler water than boiled eggs and cooked for around two and a half to three minutes.

Scrambled Eggs:

Beat the eggs in a bowl and then pour them into a frying pan and then stir over a low heat until they are fully set.

Omelette:

Beat the eggs and pour into a hot pan again. This time around you won’t need to stir them, just cook until set. The beauty of an omelette is that you can add extra foodstuffs to it, such as mushrooms or ham.

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