The article details pasta dishes and how carbohydrates play a role in your muscle progress. Many athletes will say that in no case should you eat pasta, because they can leave a significant mark on your figure. What if it's not so? Some people don't accept fish or pork as proteins. Likewise, others may not think of potatoes and rice as fast carbs before exercise. Let's talk in more detail about the use of pasta in sports.
The need to use pasta in sports
There have been several experiments with pasta. Some athletes began to feel an unprecedented surge of energy after eating a portion. Why is this happening? Because the body of each person is a completely different matter. Therefore, some athletes feel great after eating potatoes or rice, since their body absorbs these foods well, and thanks to such carbohydrates, it is filled with incredible energy. And some, on the contrary, begin to feel tired. And after eating pasta, the situation changes dramatically.
This effect is due to enzymes. These are the so-called special compounds in the body that are responsible for getting energy after eating. And paradoxically, some people secrete enzymes that "love" potatoes and rice, and some - pasta and other foods. Therefore, it happens that after one meal a person feels vigorous, and after another, on the contrary, drowsy.
Therefore, we can say with precision that we get energy only from food. But which one brings more strength, and which one less - all this needs to be calculated by the method of individual selection. It is advisable to devote some time to yourself and your needs. It is clear that this will take a lot of time at the first stage, but in the future you will know exactly what needs to be consumed and what not.
One large portion of pasta contains almost 30 g of carbohydrates, and slow carbohydrates, which then will not "go" into the fat mass contrary to all the assurances of nutritionists. It is not a sweet product that insulin immediately converts into subcutaneous fat. Thanks to pasta, energy is released rather slowly, so the body will not feel tired for a long time after eating.
From a scientific point of view, pasta is impossible to get better, as many people think. Of course, this does not mean that you need to eat 1 kg per day, just one serving, especially before training, can be pampered. You can take the Italians as an example. This is a nation where pasta (pasta) is the queen of all dishes. So what? Is this nation considered fat?
Rules for the use of pasta by athletes
Fiber is a very healthy food if you don't overdo it, as it can irritate your gut. And the pasta just contains it - in the amount that is needed to maintain the body.
It is best for an athlete to eat pasta 1-2 hours before training. How many carbohydrates the paste contains is written on the package, so before eating it is best to calculate how many grams of carbohydrates you need per 1 kg of weight, and then multiply the figure by the number of kilograms. When you urgently need to build muscle, athletes can consume 5 g of carbohydrates per 1 kg. The portion, of course, will not come out small, but it's worth it.
Many people already have no idea how to cook pasta and not put a huge piece of butter there. Yes, the oil adds a pleasant taste, but the athlete should never eat pasta and butter - the effect will be slightly different. It is better to find a variety of noodles that will taste good and without "fat".
Features of the choice of pasta
Pasta is made from different types of flour and using different technologies, so they taste different. The athlete will have to try many options in order to find food to their liking.
Before choosing pasta, you should pay attention, first of all, to the color of the pasta. It should be dark yellow, not white. Since white pasta boils very quickly, it tastes unpleasant and does not bring anything useful to the body. There are also dark pasta made from dark flour - so don't be intimidated.
There have been cases when simple pasta did not give any effect to the body of athletes. That is, there was, on the contrary, a decline in strength. But when the athletes tried pasta made from "live" dough, the result was simply amazing. You can buy pasta made from live dough in the store, or you can cook it at home.
It is also good that pasta is a relatively inexpensive product. There are, of course, different varieties and types of pasta, but here you should not listen to the slogan “more expensive is better”. Pasta (it is more expensive) contains more protein, but it is not really needed, because often athletes consume large quantities of protein shakes and lean meat, so there is more than enough protein in the body.
Pasta recipes for athletes
Below are some pasta recipes to get you started with pasta.
Pasta and tuna casserole
The casserole has long been considered one of the favorite dishes of many nationalities. And when it is also made with tender pasta in combination with tuna and hard cheese, then it turns out to be a simply unsurpassed dish.
So the ingredients:
- Tuna, canned in a jar (200-300 g);
- Pasta (pasta - 150 g);
- 50 g of hard cheese;
- 450 g canned tomatoes (chopped);
- Onions (1 large onion or 2 small ones);
- Several small cloves of garlic;
- Seasonings (pepper, dried oregano, and you can still choose to your liking);
- Olive oil;
- Salt (preferably sea salt);
- A small slice of ciabatta or pita bread.
Let's move on to cooking. First you need to prepare - put a full kettle of water on the fire, and also turn on the oven 180 degrees. Then you need to take a saucepan, fill it with boiled water (the water needs to be salted). Then the pan must also be put on high heat.
Next, cook the paste according to the instructions on the package. Peel the onion and garlic and transfer to a blender for chopping. Take out the chopped onion and garlic on a plate. Then we cut the bread and also send it to the combine, add seasonings to it, 1 tbsp. l. olive oil, salt and pepper. Then grind, but not very finely. Now the hard cheese needs to be grated.
Next, put chopped onion with garlic, a little olive oil, a little spices in a hot frying pan and fry until the onion is cooked. Then you need to add the chopped tomatoes to the pan, add a little water and put to stew for about 10 minutes.
After the sauce is cooked, add tuna to it. Then mix the pasta with the sauce and put it in a special baking dish. On top should be laid out the chopped mass of bread and hard. Then put in the oven for 25-30 minutes. And that's it, the dish is ready!
Pasta bows with chicken and vegetables
The ingredients you need to prepare this gourmet meal:
- 2 glasses of bow-shaped pasta;
- Boiled chicken fillet, chopped (2 cups);
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- Sliced champignons - one and a half cups;
- Red pepper (sweet) - 1 pc. It takes so much that half a glass comes out somewhere;
- 3 tbsp. l.olive oil;
- 50 ml lemon juice;
- 2 tbsp. l. white wine or chicken broth;
- Grated hard cheese - 50 g;
- 1 tbsp. l. dry basil.
Now we go directly to cooking. First you need to boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Next, put the pan on the fire and fry the chicken, mushrooms, zucchini and peppers with the addition of olive oil. You do not need to fry for long - only 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Next, you need to add lemon juice, wine / broth. Simmer for a few more minutes. After the "sauce" is cooked, you can add pasta to the pan. Mix everything thoroughly, add hard cheese - and you're done!
Tips for making pasta
Let's take a look at some tips on how to properly cook pasta:
- If you take half a kilogram of pasta, then there should be +/- 5 liters of water in the pan.
- Pour pasta into water only into boiling water. If you do this earlier, then they simply stick together.
- Do not cover the pot with a lid.
- Salt should be thrown to taste (generously), otherwise undersalted pasta is not a very tasty product.
- Even if you cooked pasta for as long as indicated on the package - still check their readiness yourself.
How to use pasta in sports - watch the video:
It is clear that after all that I have read, it will be difficult at first. But, believe me, the results will not keep you waiting long.
