Dairy products play an important role in the diet of athletes. Find out the benefits of cheese. How to choose the right cheese, and which type to give preference to?
The need for dairy products for bodybuilders has been proven in the course of a large number of scientific studies. Today we will talk about the benefits of cheese in bodybuilding.
What kind of cheese and how much should you eat?
When looking at the basket of products of an average compatriot, it is immediately striking that the main share of products is occupied by bakery products, dairy products, as well as meat and poultry. Cheese is quite popular among the people, and it is difficult to imagine a full breakfast without this product.
Cheese is made from raw ingredients. This can be, say, cream, cattle milk, buttermilk, etc. During the cooking process, clotting enzymes, lactic acid bacteria and various food additives are added to the cheese. When the whey is removed, the cheese can be consumed.
It should be admitted that the technology for making cheeses is very interesting, but this is not about that now. You can find a huge variety of cheese varieties in our stores. The days when this product was difficult to get hold of are in the distant past. Nowadays, it is very easy for an inexperienced buyer to get lost in the presented assortment. On the shelves there is cheese of domestic and foreign manufacturers, of various types.
Today we will talk about hard cheeses. Someone may ask about processed cheeses, but to get an answer to the question, just look at the packaging and understand that their nutritional value is very low.
We are interested in the value of any product from the point of view of an athlete. All cheeses can be divided into two categories: good and bad. The first group includes the following:
- Mozzarella - 100 grams of the product contains 280 calories, 20 to 25 grams of fat and 28 grams of protein compounds;
- Feta - there are 14 grams of protein compounds per 100 grams, from 21 to 24 grams of fat, energy value is 264 kilocalories;
- Cheddar - 100 grams of the product contains 402 kilocalories, from 30 to 33 grams of fat, 25 grams of protein compounds;
- Parmesan - 100 grams of cheese contains from 25 to 29 grams of fat, 38 grams of protein compounds, and the energy value is 431 kilocalories.
All the varieties of cheese presented above are quite popular and each athlete has certain information about them. But Oltermann's cheese is much less known, which does not make it less valuable for athletes. This variety is produced in Finland, and its composition is as follows:
- Pasteurized milk;
- Lactic acid bacteria;
- Enzyme supplement;
- Salt.
100 grams of nine percent Oltermanni cheese contains 31 grams of protein compounds, 9 grams of fat, and the energy value is 210 kilocalories. Not bad indicators.
The benefits of cheese in bodybuilding
It should be noted that cheese is useful not only for athletes, but also for people who care about their figure. Among the main beneficial properties of cheese in bodybuilding, the following should be noted:
- Supports a favorable background for the intestinal microflora, thereby improving the absorption of food;
- Contains a large amount of nutrients and minerals;
- Cheese contains a lot of calcium, which strengthens bone tissue. To this should be added vitamin B, also contained in cheese and contributing to better absorption of calcium by the body;
- Thanks to phosphorus, the work of the kidneys is facilitated when filtering waste products, as well as pain in the muscles after training is reduced;
- Cheeses are low in lactose;
- Every athlete knows about the need for protein compounds, and cheeses contain a sufficient amount of these substances;
- Low-fat cheeses (9%) slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, which is of great importance in the fight against excess body fat;
- Low-fat cheeses also help to normalize blood pressure;
- Thanks to zinc and biotin, the body can repair damaged tissues faster.
How to choose the right cheeses?
Of course, with the existing assortment of cheeses, it is very difficult to make the right choice. You should not trust commercials and take the first product that comes to hand. The healthiest cheeses in bodybuilding have already been mentioned above. And now some recommendations will be given on the choice of cheeses:
- Trust only factory labels, not store stickers;
- Pay attention to the expiration date of the product;
- Do not buy cheeses that contain vegetable fats.
How much cheese should you eat?
Those people who have a lean physique should pay attention to cheeses that have a fat content of 17-25 grams for every 100 grams of product. For the rest, 9% fat is better.
Ectomorphs should consume cheese as follows:
- 2 to 3 times a day - breakfast, snack and after training;
- Every day you should eat from 10 to 120 grams of cheese;
- In the weekly diet, cheese should be present for 3 or 4 days.
Athletes with other body types need to use a different regimen to get the most out of their bodybuilding cheese:
- Eat cheese once or twice during the day - for breakfast and snack;
- The daily consumption of cheese is 70 to 100 grams;
- The product is consumed three times a week.
A sandwich prepared according to the following recipe can be a very good option for a snack. A slice of cheese is placed on whole grain bread, and on top of it there are 2 to 3 cut boiled quail eggs. The finished sandwich is covered with a leaf of lettuce. This is a very useful dish for the athlete's body, it will be able to provide it with all useful substances.
From all of the above, you can see that the benefits of using cheese in bodybuilding are obvious. This dairy product will take a permanent place in your diet. The product is not only healthy, but also tasty, which is very important for any person.
For more information on the benefits and dangers of cheese, see this video:
