In nature, there are not many products in which excellent taste characteristics and extremely useful properties are organically intertwined. Buckwheat is one of them. This cereal is a source of complex carbohydrates, which is especially appreciated among athletes in bodybuilding. But in order for the product to be able to bring maximum benefits, you need to know how to cook it correctly and when to eat better.
Why buckwheat is useful for athletes
The chemical components of buckwheat porridge make it an indispensable dish in the diet of every bodybuilder, therefore, it can not only be eaten, but it is also strongly recommended to do this both before training and after. The main thing is to know the optimal time for taking before and after exercise, as well as the most effective ways to prepare the product.
Did you know? It is a mistake to consider Greece as the birthplace of buckwheat. This cereal came to us from the Himalayas.
Regular consumption of buckwheat in food contributes to:
- muscle mass growth;
- saturating the body with a set of necessary proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, amino acids, vitamins, dietary fiber and other useful components;
- weight reduction, excess fat layer and the likelihood of its re-formation;
- improving blood cholesterol;
- increased stamina during hard physical training;
- increase the saturation period;
- normalization of high blood pressure;
- accelerate metabolic processes in the body;
- cleansing the intestines, preventing constipation and improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- increased appetite;
- normalization of the brain, cardiovascular and nervous systems;
- lower blood sugar;
- reduce the risk of gallstones;
- removing excess fluid from the body.
Before training
Before starting a workout, the body of both men and women needs a lot of energy reserves. Carbohydrates can provide such energy to muscles in sufficient quantities. The use of buckwheat dishes in the required amount can fully provide an energy charge for intense sports. The proportion of this product in a serving before training should be at least 60%, the remaining amount is recommended to be left for protein food. The last time you need to take food is 1-2 hours before the workout, so that it has time to assimilate.
Important! It is this time range that will enable the body to better absorb creatine, which is one of the main obstacles to the formation of body fat.
A properly balanced diet before training helps:
- preparing the body for upcoming physical exertion;
- maintaining the necessary energy level;
- protecting the body from fatigue and overstrain;
- increase physical stamina and performance.
An insufficient amount of food before a workout or its incorrect composition can lead to the fact that the energy runs out ahead of time, and in return overcomes an unexpected feeling of hunger. But in no case should you get tired before training, thinking that the more carbohydrates and proteins enter the body, the more positive the result.
The amount of food should be like with a normal meal. After all, the presence of undigested food in the stomach not only negatively affects the training process, but can also lead to complications in the physical condition of the trainee - dizziness, digestive upset. In addition, intense exercise significantly slows down the digestion of food.
Did you know? Scientists have proved that regular consumption of buckwheat is able to maintain a person’s psycho-emotional state and improve his mood.
After training
If the opinions of experienced athletes are similar in eating time before training, they differ on the issue of nutrition after training. Some argue that during a carbohydrate window lasting from 15 to 40 minutes immediately after training, you need to eat carbohydrate or protein foods. Others recommend drinking water during this period, and take food only after 2-3 hours. Both of these methods have the right to life, as they are time-tested.
Disagreements also concern the types of products consumed:
- some specialists they recommend consuming carbohydrate food during the first meal after exercise to first replenish the body’s energy supply, and protein after a while;
- other - for protein foods, which will first help restore and make muscle mass grow, and then only carbohydrates will fill the body with energy;
- third insist on combining these products.
Each athlete must choose the optimal diet for themselves. But one thing is indisputable - buckwheat as a product with a large amount of slow carbohydrates and a significant amount of protein in all cases is useful to use after a workout.
Important! Adding protein, amino acids and vitamin-mineral components contained in buckwheat to an animal protein helps to build muscle more effectively, protects muscles from the sometimes destructive effects of intense physical exertion and allows them to recover faster and begin to grow.
How to cook buckwheat for weight gain
When deciding to seriously engage in bodybuilding, special attention should be paid to nutrition. Healthy dishes should be varied, not fresh, and then they will bring not only benefit, but also pleasure. Knowledge of various recipes for cooking buckwheat dishes that can help in mass gain will help to decorate the athlete's menu. They can be used both before and after training. Most experts recommend doing this 1-2 hours before the start of physical activity.
Buckwheat with meat as a merchant
To prepare buckwheat with meat in a merchant way is not difficult. The recipe is a bit like cooking pilaf.
Essential Ingredients:
- meat to choose from (pork, beef, chicken);
- buckwheat kernel;
- bow;
- carrot;
- sunflower oil;
- parsley;
- dill;
- salt;
- ground black pepper;
- hops suneli.
Cooking:
- wash the meat, cut into small pieces, fry in a skillet in sunflower oil;
- add salt, pepper, suneli hops;
- fry chopped onions and chopped carrots in cubes in a frying pan with vegetable oil to a soft consistency over a small fire;
- shift to meat;
- boil buckwheat separately, shift to meat and vegetables, mix;
- sprinkle with herbs.
The dish is ready to eat.
Did you know? It is widely believed that buckwheat is not cereal, since not a single grain crop can be compared with it by the amount of antioxidants. It is called an edible seed, consisting in kinship with rhubarb.
Buckwheat porridge with mushrooms
Mushroom taste in buckwheat is able to add variety to the sometimes monotonous menu of athletes.
Ingredients:
- buckwheat kernel;
- Champignon;
- boiled eggs;
- bow;
- salt;
- pepper.
Cooking:
- Cook buckwheat.
- Cook the eggs.
- Fry the champignons with onions.
- Stir all the ingredients.
Buckwheat with milk
Buckwheat for milk porridge can be boiled both individually and on the milk itself. In the first case, the taste of buckwheat is slightly leveled by milk, in the second - the dish will turn out to be much more nutritious and rich in buckwheat. When cooking, you can add a little salt and sugar. There is an opinion that sugar to some extent can neutralize the beneficial properties of buckwheat, so it is better to replace it with honey.
How much buckwheat is needed for mass gain
Specialists recommend using buckwheat dishes for weight gain 1-2 times a day. The number of servings and their mass for each may vary. The athlete's diet should be compiled by a professional trainer or dietitian.
Important! There is an optimal diet calculation for weight gain: daily for 1 kg of weight, an athlete should consume 3 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of protein, 0.5 g of fat.
Despite the great benefits of buckwheat porridge, it is unreasonable to do just that in the diet. There are other sources of healthy carbohydrates, as well as plant and animal proteins for athletes. It must be remembered that apart from buckwheat dishes will not help build muscle. For its growth, physical exercise is necessary first of all. Only the right combination of training and wholesome nutrition can work wonders.
