Find Out which Types of Bread are Best for Athletes
Nowadays, when there are modern diets with reduced carbohydrate intake, bread has remained in the shadow of other foods and has fallen on the diet ladder. However, should you really avoid this food completely? Find out, though, which types of bread are best for athletes.
1. The main purpose of bread
It is, of course, a source of carbohydrates, that is, energy needed by the human body. You must eat other nutrients from fruits, vegetables, dairy products and white meat.
American experts recommend taking up to 10 servings of cereals in total during the day. However, it should be borne in mind that other cereal products also belong to this group. For example – these are various cereals, dough, rice, oatmeal and the like. Also, you should pay attention to whether we consume some coatings (butter, jam) with bread.
2. Dark or black bread
It is known that this type of bakery product has a higher nutritional value, provided that it is made from whole grain cereals. Unfortunately, in modern industry, it often happens that plain, white bread is colored with cocoa or other food colors. In this way, manufacturers meet one of the conditions (color).
Ideally, an athlete’s optimal diet should include whole grain products3, not refined white flour. Therefore, if you want to buy the least processed product, be sure to look for the inscription “whole grain” on the package. However, we should also emphasize this – you do not have to eat only this type of food. The selection of breads with several different types of cereals is also large. For example, pastries with bran, rye and the like contain a large amount of fiber.
3. Bakery products and carbohydrates
So-called diet or “light” pastries have a lower caloric value. They are mostly smaller pieces, with more air and fibers. Certainly, this benefits someone who is on a diet with strictly limited carbohydrate intake. But this is not the case for athletes who train hard. Because, too little or no intake of these elements leads to starvation during the day, so at the end of the day, there may be an increased need and consumption of sweets.
To verify the above, try the following:
Limit carbohydrate intake for 7 days and pay attention to the result. You will probably notice that you have less energy during training.
For the next 7 days, add, for example, except tuna and bread. You can conclude that there has been an improvement and that you feel better.
Conclusion
Whether you are a professional athlete or a recreational athlete, or simply take care of your diet, we believe that we have helped you at least to some extent. And, if you are wondering which types of bread are best for athletes, but also otherwise, don’t forget the following: Adjust your diet to the basic goal, but also to the needs of the organism. In other words – eat bread, but take care of what and which.