Proteins are a fundamental nutrition for cyclists and in general for every athlete, regardless of the sport being practiced. Anyone who takes time out of regular physical activity needs to consume a suitable amount of protein.
Let’s see in detail why proteins are so important in the cyclist diet and how many proteins we need per day.
Proteins promote muscle growth. Many studies have shown that they retain this functionality in both cases if they are consumed before or after workouts. In the latter case, however, it is important to combine it with carbohydrates, which help to regain energy.
“Biological value” is a parameter that profiles foods based on the quality of the proteins contained in them. It depends on the composition of amino acids of a food and its digestibility. If a food has a high biological value it means that it contains proteins similar to those naturally produced by our body and are used more easily by the body. Eggs have a biological value of 100.
Since our body needs animal and vegetable proteins it is always good to consume an adequate amount of both by combining in the dish two or more different foods.
Consuming lots of proteins is not the same as building more muscle because they also contain so many calories that affect the levels of fat in the blood.
Daily it is recommended to consume about 1gr per kg of weight.
Are a natural source of protein: meat, fish and seafood, eggs, dairy products, tofu and soy, legumes, nuts, quinoa.