Learn what meat to eat on a low-carb diet and why meat should be part of any diet. Nowadays, vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular, and some athletes want to know if they can achieve good results in sports without this product. However, today we will tell you exactly about meat, which is of great importance in the life of every person. We will not delve into the discussion about the benefits or dangers of various diets, but we will talk about whether meat can be consumed on a diet and how to do it correctly.
What does a builder need to know about meat?
This article can be useful not only for athletes, but also for ordinary people. In the diet of a large number of people, this product is present in various forms. If we talk about the diet of an average compatriot, then most often it includes rice, potatoes, buckwheat, chicken, ham and sausages. Most often, meat is used in the form of semi-finished products, for example, sausages or sausages.
It should be warned right away that this is not a criticism and statement of facts. Many people are led to various products packed in colorful jars, which, according to the manufacturer, contain 100 percent product. However, we recommend that you revisit or take a first look at the movie "Download Iron". It starred Iron Arnie and other famous bodybuilders from the heyday of bodybuilding.
In this film, athletes are often seen in the background eating meat and even fried. Perhaps this fact will force you to reconsider your diet. If you do not plan to switch to plant foods, then you should still prefer natural meat on your diet to various semi-finished products.
To begin with, meat is one of the main sources of animal protein compounds. As you should be aware, it is these proteins that have the full amine profile. This is important not only for athletes, but also for ordinary people. With regard to bodybuilding, only protein compounds with a full amino acid profile are able to supply the body with all the necessary substances for gaining mass. This fact alone can give an answer to the question - is it possible to eat meat on a diet?
Among all types of meat, it should be noted those types of products that will help you gain weight: veal, beef, lamb, pork, lamb and poultry. Let's highlight those properties of this product that are of fundamental importance for athletes:
- The protein contains all the amines of the essential group.
- An excellent source of creatine.
- Contains a large amount of micronutrients (vitamins PP, B1, B2 and B12, as well as minerals - iron and phosphorus).
- Contains catalysts for the synthesis of digestive enzymes.
Now we will look at the most popular type of meat among bodybuilders - beef. This product contains many high-quality protein compounds. No one will dispute the value of creatine for builders. In comparison with other food products, it is meat (red) that is its main source. Of course, you can say that now there is a large selection of supplements based on creatine monohydrate, but you need to use natural products, because sports nutrition is only an addition to your diet.
Many words have been said about carnitine today. This substance normalizes the metabolism of fats, and also accelerates the branching process of amines of the BCAA group. Beef contains a lot of carnitine. We have not yet answered your question - is meat allowed on a diet?
Then let's continue and mention alanine, which is a great source of energy. Let's move on to minerals, without which many processes in the body cannot be activated. If a potassium deficiency is found in the body, then the processes of production of protein compounds in muscle tissues, as well as the production of such powerful anabolic steroids as IGF and somatotropin, slow down.
Iron is actively involved in the production of blood. The immune system works much more efficiently when zinc is present in the body in sufficient quantities. Also, this mineral is important for the growth processes of the cellular structures of muscle tissue. Magnesium increases the efficiency of insulin. And also has a positive effect on the growth of power parameters.
Lean beef contains a lot of linoleic acid. It is a powerful natural antioxidant that also has anti-catabolic properties. Since during weight gain, builders have to consume a large amount of protein compounds, it is important to provide the body with vitamin B6. He takes an active part in the processes of protein metabolism.
B12 performs transport functions, and with a sufficient concentration of this substance, the quality of oxygen supply to tissues increases. In addition, this vitamin is necessary for the flow of BCAA metabolic processes and energy reactions. As you can see, the answer to the question - is it possible to eat meat on a diet is quite obvious.
If ordinary people often do not pay enough attention to the issues of their nutrition, then for athletes such an approach to drawing up a diet is unacceptable. If you don't eat right, then there will be no muscle growth. All your efforts in training sessions will be nullified by an incorrect nutritional program. Thus, you should understand this issue much better than ordinary people. According to the thermal state, meat can be classified into the following categories:
- Paired - has not yet cooled down and is sold immediately (within a couple of hours) from the moment the carcass was cut. Note that it is rarely used for cooking.
- Cooled down - no more than 24 hours have passed since the carcass of the animal was cut, and if during this period of time it was not sold, then the meat is frozen.
- Chilled - stored for a maximum of 72 hours in special chambers at temperatures from 0 to minus 4 degrees.
- Frozen - immediately after cooling, it is deeply frozen and retains all nutrients for about three months.
- Thawed - if all the freezing / thawing rules are not followed, then a certain part of the nutrients will be lost.
Now let's take a closer look at all the important nutrients that are contained in meat and you can determine for yourself whether meat is possible on a diet.
Protein compounds
We have already said above that meat contains protein compounds with a full profile of amines, including essential ones. It is customary to distinguish between two types of meat proteins: actin and myosin. About 50 percent of all protein compounds in meat are myosin. The average protein content in meat is 75–90 percent.
These substances have a high rate of assimilation, but are processed in the body for a fairly long period of time. It is this fact that explains this product's ability to saturate well. It should also be said that meat contains some protein compounds with an incomplete amine profile, for example, collagen. They are no less important for the body, which makes the product itself necessary for athletes.
Fats
The amount of fat in meat depends on the variety. The body best assimilates fats belonging to the low-melting group. This fact suggests that pork is not such a useless type of meat from the point of view of athletes, because the melting temperature of pork fat is minimal, like that of chicken. But the fat of lamb and beef is absorbed much worse. Also note that meat contains mostly saturated fats, but if you eat lean meat (the nutrient content is from 3 to 8 percent), there should be no problems with being overweight.
Micronutrients
About 30 percent of zinc is absorbed into the body from meat. In addition, this product contains iron, potassium, calcium, sodium and selenium. The main mineral of meat is iron, which is completely absorbed by the body and is a constituent element of hemoglobin.
We will not refute the obvious and let us inform you that meat is indisputably inferior to plant foods in terms of the amount of vitamins. However, vegetables and fruits are extremely low in B vitamins, niacin and thiamine. But meat is rich in these substances.
How to choose the right meat?
We found out everything about the benefits of meat for the human body, and this should have been our answer to the question - is meat possible on a diet? Now let's talk about what to look for when choosing meat. This is a fairly important step, you must take it with full responsibility. Let's talk in detail about the features of choosing the most popular types of meat.
- Beef. The best choice for athletes is veal, which should be pale pink or red in color. Also note that the veal is marbled on the cut. Try to avoid dark red meat that comes from older animals.
- Pork. And here the meat of young animals, namely dairy pigs, will be the best choice. You can also safely buy a product obtained from animals aged 7 or 8 months. The color should be pinkish red or pinkish. The darker the meat, the older the animal was.
- Mutton. The best choice for athletes is lamb when one or two years old. You must remember that lamb has a specific smell that not everyone likes. The color of young lamb is light red.
- Bird. High-quality poultry meat should have a pale pink color, and the carcass should be elastic to the touch.
Now let's give some tips for the use of meat by athletes:
- During the week, you should eat meat at least 2-3 times and it is advisable to do this on days free from training. The daily portion ranges from 0.2 to 0.25 kilos.
- Meat is processed by the body much longer than dairy products and poultry.
- Eat only lean meats with a maximum of 8 percent fat.
- The body absorbs only 60 percent of all the nutrients found in meat.
- You should eat not only poultry meat, but also red meat.
- The more time you spend on cooking meat at high temperatures, the less nutrients remain in it.
How to cook meat according to the Ducan diet, see here:
