Cheese bread instead of protein shake: The right diet for sports
When we exercise, we lose a lot of water, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and proteins. The diet of athletes should therefore be particularly balanced. We’ll tell you here how much protein the human body basically needs, how you can best replenish your reserves after exercising and what role cheese plays in this.
Proteins are the building blocks of our body. Each of our cells is made up of proteins. They ensure muscle building and regeneration, digestion, metabolism and the production of antibodies in our immune system. When we exercise, many of these proteins are "sweated out" and "burned" from the body. Therefore, you should pay attention to a balanced diet before and after training.
Protein is not just protein
It's not just about the right amount of protein, which varies depending on the intensity and type of sport and the athlete's body weight. The quality of the proteins is just as important. How do you recognize good protein sources? You have to know that our body needs over 20 amino acids to build protein. Most of these, the non-essential ones, he can make himself. 8 are so-called essential amino acids. We have to get this through our food. Depending on whether all 8 essential amino acids are contained in a food, we speak of complete or incomplete protein sources. Complete proteins contain all essential amino acids in sufficient quantities. We find most complete proteins in animal foods such as meat, fish, dairy products and eggs. The higher the protein quality of a food, the less protein the body needs overall.
The right amount of protein
Studies recommend that an adult consumes at least 0,8g of protein per pound of body weight per day. An 80-pound man should therefore eat 64 g of protein per day. If you regularly do endurance sports or build muscle, the guideline increases to 1,8-2,2 g protein per kg body weight, i.e. 144-176 g protein for a person weighing 80 kg. Since semi-hard and hard cheeses have a high protein content, they are a very suitable food for athletes. For example, our Emmental contains 29 g of protein per 100 g.
Cheese instead of sore muscles
The increased protein intake is also important after sport. Did you know that protein in combination with carbohydrates allows the muscles to regenerate faster and thus prevents muscle soreness? Wholemeal bread topped with cheese is the ideal post-exercise snack.
