Are nuts essential at the sports level? What really contribute to us? Do you get fat as they say? These are usually the most frequent questions that we usually find daily in the consultation, in the gyms or talking to a friend or family. Like everything that has to do in the field of nutrition, there are no whites or blacks; There is a gray scale in which We can incorporate nuts into our food program To try to improve performance at the sports level and, most importantly, our health. This It is a very broad topic, full of nuances, which will depend on many factors. What will it depend on?
Type of training and intensity
The nuts, a priori, is not that they are positioned precisely as a key food in the peri-entry in general terms. That is to say, They will not give us a large amount of benefits for performance Just before training, during training, or just after. This It does not mean that we cannot incorporate throughout the day in our diet Some dry fruit to benefit from rich compounds that house this food group. Well then, It will depend on the type of training we carry out. It is not the same if I am preparing for a marathon, if I train powerlifting, or if I do Crossfit 5 times a week. Like training intensity matters, and much; If we do a strength exercise at a timely moment or if we play a mid -gas game.Sports level
In addition, It will depend on whether we are amateur or professionals athletes. The difference lies mainly that a professional athlete, if he has a lot of charge and intensity of training a day or per week, needs to recover to the maximum and as soon as possible muscle glycogen to live up to his next training, as far as performance is concerned. This is achieved by prioritizing the contribution of carbohydrates and post-straight protein, so, including fats (nuts) would slow down their absorption and, therefore, it would not be convenient at that precise moment. Ideally, in this case, it would be to include some dry fruit outside this time interval. Yes, on the contrary like most people, simply We train to have a good physical form and good health, nothing would happen nor would it be decisive to add some dry fruit to our post-signature, it could even be recommended.Nutritional value
It is known that nuts are "caloric bombs" for their energy density, and this makes many people not consume them since they live telling calories. Calories obviously matter, but more quality and nutritional value matter more of the type of food from which they come. In recent studies, it has been observed that the consumption of nuts is not associated with weight gain despite its high energy value. This is because, on the one hand, They satisfy a lot thanks to its protein, fat and fiber content, and this causes excess calories to be ingested in the rest of the meals. His satiant power is also attributed to chewing, since The more we have to chew a food, our brain interprets greater feeling of satiety (The same happens when we eat an apple, which is sometimes endless).
To expand your information, in this post we tell you What types of proteins exist according to their origin.
What beneficial properties do nuts have?
Depending on which dry fruit it takes me to my mouth, I will benefit from different minerals and nutrients. For example, The nuts They have great concentrations of omega 3 (wing) that exercises as a powerful anti -inflammatory in our body, great ally in intense sports since many free radicals (roses) and inflammation are produced by the high generated stress. In addition, it has been seen that Brazil nuts They are an excellent source of selenium that, in the same way, is a great antioxidant to counteract that formation of Ros. In addition, The pistachios They stand out for their potassium content and vitamin K. On the other hand, The almonds They are rich in magnesium and phosphorus, very important in athletes to prevent the appearance of cramps, muscle aches, fatigue, irritability, cardiovascular problems ... It has been seen in studies that the greater the consumption of these nuts is associated with less risk of coronary heart disease.
Tips to consume them
A very good option is consume them between hours, add them to yogurt or salads. They should be consumed between 2 to 7 servings a week, depending on the needs of each individual. A ration would correspond to a handful of some dry fruit (20-30 grams): understanding handful that the fingertips should touch the palm of the hand when closing it, that is, about 3-4 nuts (without peel), 8 -10 almonds or anacardos, 10-12 pistachios ... They are usually sold in four formats:
✅ Fried
Of the worst options since fat is incorporated, which is not usually of good quality, to a food that contains healthy fats. Acrylamide is formed in its process that is not desirable.
✅ Ticks
Also of the worst options for the inclusion of sugar to a food that makes it even more palatable, so it would induce us to eat more quantity and lower quality.
✅ Roasted
They are a good option although the action of heat by the turse causes the destruction of some beneficial compounds and the formation of others not tan desirable.
