Eggs are an essential ingredient in an athlete’s diet. But not everyone knows about the beneficial properties of the product. It is accepted that you can eat no more than 1 egg per day, but few people know what provoked this rule. Let's figure out together how yolk affects the body and how dangerous it is.
Many people think that you can’t eat yolk when losing weight. This part of the eggs is prepared in different ways. Ovary and omelette are the simplest methods. Dietetics and doctors were against yolk in the diet. However, 21st century research has helped uncover new nuances and health benefits.
Yolk is a saturated fat. Previously, doctors claimed that this element contributes to the development of problems with the heart and blood vessels. Modern research has shown that saturated fat comes in several forms.
Eggs contain a lot of cholesterol. This component is a must for athletes who work out in the gym.
It precedes testosterone, from which muscles grow and the metabolic process goes faster.
Egg structure
Eggs consist of two components - white and yolk. But these elements also contain many nutrients that are necessary for an athletic body. The first component is water, protein, selenium and potassium in small proportions.
To understand how useful these components are, you need to understand that the yolk is not only fat and a lot of calories. It also contains:
- Choline. Responsible for the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and participates in lipid metabolism.
- Vitamin D. Supports muscle tone.
- Fat-soluble vitamins. The composition includes components of groups A, E, K. They improve the consumption of other substances.
To increase muscle mass, it is the yolks that are recommended. Whole eggs are loaded with leucine, amino acids and bulking calories. If we talk about losing weight, then there is no clear answer. Since the body cannot function normally without fat, a person needs the daily norm of components. You can eat eggs without fear, since during physical activity all unnecessary elements are burned.
Advantages and disadvantages of eggs
It is impossible to force a person to eat certain foods, even if they have a good effect on the body. Athletes determine their own diet. To make it as useful and effective as possible, you need to evaluate the benefits and harms of the yolk.
Eggs for humans have the following advantages:
- Pure protein.
- Contains 2/3 of the daily fat requirement.
- Contains phospholipids. They are included in nerve fibers. Improves liver condition, normalizes sugar levels and carbohydrate metabolism.
- Availability of vitamins.
- Daily cholesterol value.
- Dietary product.
Some of the listed advantages can also become disadvantages if you do not adhere to proper nutrition and standards. People are often scared by the high cholesterol content in the yolk. Eggs contain several times more of this component than chicken meat, cheeses, and sausages. They will be dangerous only if you eat more than 1-2 eggs, as nutritionists require.
How to eat eggs correctly?
Surely you know about such a harmful microorganism as salmonella. Salmonella lives on eggshells. Therefore, it is advisable to boil or fry eggs before eating. Raw eggs can only be eaten if they were produced under virtually sterile conditions.
A bodybuilder must know how to properly cook eggs. Nutritionists say that if cooked for too long, the beneficial substances contained in the white and yolk are partially destroyed. In addition, the yolk of a hard-boiled egg will take too long to digest: at least three hours. Therefore, it is advisable to boil eggs soft-boiled, that is, make sure that the yolk remains liquid. In this case, the egg will not only retain the maximum of its beneficial properties, but will also be absorbed by the body quite quickly: it has been proven that soft-boiled eggs are absorbed by the body within about an hour and a half.
General recommendations for use
In order to lose excess weight, you need to strictly monitor your diet and the form in which your meals are served. Eggs are small ingredients, but they fill you up well. Therefore, experts give athletes some advice:
- Eat eggs for breakfast or in the morning.
- There is no need to fry them, as cooking in oil only increases the calorie content. It is better to use a non-stick frying pan and not use fat.
- At night you should eat only the white; the yolk is not recommended.
- You can add poached eggs to your diet.
- Use no more than 2 pieces per day.
- Duck eggs are harder to digest.
Meal options
Egg yolks can be eaten raw. Based on them, protein shakes are prepared or drunk on an empty stomach. The calorie content of raw and boiled products is the same. However, the body spends more energy on its processing, which is why you can lose weight.
Doctors recommend eating chicken or quail eggs raw, but not duck eggs. It is better if the product from the village is pre-treated with soda. Boiled eggs are recommended to be consumed in the evening and once a day.
People eat eggs:
- from chicken;
- quail;
- ducks
Nutritionists claim that the benefits of quail yolk and white are colossal. Their eggs are hypoallergenic, rich in amino acids, vitamins and proteins. You can eat 3-4 pieces a day. The body is most accustomed to chicken and is absorbed in the general order.
Yolk diet
There are special yolk diets that have a positive effect on the entire body. They contribute to:
- Improved brain functioning.
- Accelerated metabolism.
- Divergence of fat deposits.
- Increasing immune strength.
- Stabilization of well-being.
- Proper dissolution of fats.
If a person has jaundice, then such a diet is prohibited. Can people with heart and vascular problems eat yolk? Definitely not. This diet is based on a high content of eggs, which means that cholesterol will increase, which is contraindicated for heart patients. Also prohibited are people with atherosclerosis and urolithiasis.
As part of this diet, you can cook an omelette in a steam bath. If you decide to cook, then the process should not be less than 5-7 minutes. During this time, all infections are removed.
The diet is not based on eggs alone. Along with them, you can consume fermented milk products, vegetables, fruits, poultry and fish, coffee and tea with a minimum of sugar. At the same time, it is forbidden to eat sweets, flour, pasta, bread, canned food, sausages, semi-finished products, salt and sauces.
How to lose weight on eggs
There are many options for protein diets, the main permitted product of which is eggs. Such nutrition systems limit the consumption of carbohydrates. It turns out that the diet contains a lot of proteins, which is why the body begins to convert its own fat reserves into energy. In addition, you can eat not only chicken. Quails have earned good reviews due to their hypoallergenicity. Duck eggs on a diet, on the contrary, are poorly absorbed by the body.
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Egg diet
Options for egg diets can be listed for a long time, but the kefir mono-diet is considered one of the most effective. It is very simple, easy to carry and gives good results. In a week you can lose up to 5-7 extra pounds. The main condition is to eat 2 eggs for breakfast every day, and drink up to 1.5 liters of kefir per day. It is necessary to add other products to them depending on the day of the diet:
- first - 4 boiled potatoes;
- second – 150-200 g chicken breast;
- third - up to 150-200 g of lean beef;
- fourth – 150-200 g of lean fish;
- fifth – up to 1 kg of apples or vegetable salads;
- sixth and seventh - only kefir, water and 2 eggs.
Another effective diet option is based on the effective combination of eggs and citrus fruits. According to some reviews, you can lose up to 9 kg in one week in the process. Diet for each day of the diet in the table:
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner | |
| Monday | 2 boiled eggs + | Orange | Boiled chicken (150 g) | 200 g chicken, a glass of low-fat kefir |
| Tuesday | A glass of freshly squeezed juice | 150 g chicken | orange, glass of milk | |
| Wednesday | Green tea | Boiled meat portion, grapefruit | Boiled chicken | |
| Thursday | Omelette | About 200 g chicken with vegetable salad | Orange (2 pcs.) | |
| Friday | Boiled carrot salad | Glass of citrus juice | 200 g stewed fish | |
| Saturday | Orange, 150 g cottage cheese | Orange (2 pcs.) | Still mineral water | |
| Sunday | Orange | 200 g meat, grapefruit | ||
Losing weight with yolk
Although protein is used more often when losing weight, yolk is considered no less effective in this area. For this reason, the yolk diet is very popular today. It helps not only to get rid of excess weight, but also to cleanse the body. The unique chemical composition of the yolk with a complete absence of carbohydrates ensures normalization of digestion and prevents the deposition of fats. But the yolk diet also has a number of contraindications:
- due to the content of bad cholesterol, it is not suitable for atherosclerosis;
- with individual intolerance;
- cardiovascular pathologies and urolithiasis.
You should not overuse yolks - their daily norm is 1-2 pieces. One chicken is equal to two quail. You can eat the yolks boiled or fried, but only in olive oil or steamed and preferably for breakfast. Cooking should take 7-10 minutes. This way the yolk will acquire a structure that is most suitable for absorption by the body. Their combination with citrus fruits is optimal. It is also important to drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day. Other allowed foods on the yolk diet are:
- fish, sea or river;
- low-fat fermented milk products and milk;
- vegetables;
- lean meat;
- clean water, mineral water, green tea, herbal infusions;
- fruits, but not grapes or bananas.
Additional recommendations
Since the yolk is fat, do not forget about physical activity. In combination with a diet, you will be able to lose extra pounds and get an ideal figure. It is recommended to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. This could be aerobics, dancing, running, swimming or cycling. Not only will the weight go away, but the muscles will also become more prominent.
When following a diet, it is recommended:
- Periodically replace chicken eggs with quail eggs.
- You need to stick to this diet for no more than a week. You can take a break and start again. Don't exhaust your body.
- You need to “go out” slowly so as not to gain weight again.
- Regular meals are important. If you miss it, it will be stressful for the body and metabolism will be disrupted.
If you want to feel the benefits of egg yolk, you can first do fasting days. It is recommended to combine eggs with kefir, cottage cheese and cheese. At the same time, drink at least 2 liters of water.
Egg whites, due to their amino acid composition, are a source of high-quality protein, but egg yolks have not earned a very good reputation. First the USDA recommended limiting consumption of whole eggs, and then fitness enthusiasts caught on to the bad trend. Let's finally figure out what the benefits of egg yolk are and break down a few myths associated with it.
Vitamin composition of a chicken egg A large chicken egg contains 70 calories, 5 g of protein and 5 g of fat, 200 mg of cholesterol and 0 carbohydrates. The egg white of a chicken egg contains only 20 calories, 5 grams of protein and not a gram of carbohydrates or fat. Thus, it is clear that egg yolk is avoided due to its fat and cholesterol content. However, they forget that it is the egg yolk that contains vitamins A, D, K, group B, as well as minerals - selenium, iron, zinc and phosphorus.
Draw your own conclusions about what is healthier – egg white, yolk or a whole chicken egg.
Another plate with a more complete composition of a chicken egg per 100 g:
Cholesterol in Egg Yolk There is a myth that whole chicken eggs have a negative effect on blood cholesterol levels. This myth was refuted by researchers at the University of Connecticut. 25 men and 27 women took part in the experiment. All of them were tested for cholesterol in their blood. Half of the subjects ate eggs and received 640 mg of dietary cholesterol daily, while the other half followed an egg-free diet. The study results showed that egg yolks do not raise LDL cholesterol levels, which lead to cardiovascular disease.
Look at the table again, the saturated fat in the egg yolk is less than half of the total fat content. And cholesterol, which until recently was considered harmful, can help exercisers become bigger and stronger. This was proven in the 2009 study “Egg Protein as a Source of Power, Strength, and Energy” by Layman, DK, et al. Some of the experiment participants ate three eggs a day for three months and did strength training, while others trained and did not eat eggs. As a result, the growth in strength indicators (author Ekaterina Golovina) and muscle mass of the former exceeded twice the total data of the latter. This is because cholesterol is necessary for the synthesis of testosterone and maintaining the integrity of cell membranes.
To eat or not to eat the yolk? Of course have. The yolk is the most delicious and healthy part of a chicken egg. By throwing it away, you get even less than 50% of what you could get, because it contains fat-soluble vitamins, zinc, folic acid, calcium, iron and vitamin B 12, which, by the way, is involved in the breakdown of fats.
So, if you are concerned about your health, then do not deprive yourself of egg yolk. If you're gaining weight, then too. The exception is the period of fat burning, when you need to reduce the fat content in food and fit into the KBZHU. In this case, egg yolks can be sacrificed, but not all at once, because eggs are an integral part of a balanced diet. But keep in mind that excessive heat treatment negates all the beneficial properties of egg yolks.
