Featured Posts

Brain food for toddlersBrain food for toddlers Eighty percent of our adult brain is formed by the age of three. So just at the time when our toddlers have learnt that saying “NO” causes the big people around them to act in all sorts of funny ways,...

Readmore

Omega-3's are not all equal!Omega-3's are not all equal! There’s no denying that eating fish is good for you. One of the key reasons is that it’s a great source of polyunsaturated fat – in particular the omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA. These fats...

Readmore

Finding the hidden salt in my pantry!Finding the hidden salt in my pantry! The best way to learn is to teach. I find this all the time with nutrition. Whenever I give a talk, I invariably find myself thinking ‘Oh yes. I must do that!’ Telling others is a great way to keep...

Readmore

Keep your eyes healthy with sweet cornKeep your eyes healthy with sweet corn It’s great to buy fruit and vegetables in season. Right now we’re eating heaps of sweet corn. It’s so easy to cook: three minutes per cob (husk on) in the microwave. My son and I munch ours straight...

Readmore

Can I eat mussels if I have high cholesterol?Can I eat mussels if I have high cholesterol? The short answer is yes - you can eat mussels if you have high cholesterol. Mussels are low in kilojoules, cholesterol and fat. The little fat they do have is mostly healthy unsaturated fat with plenty...

Readmore

  • Prev
  • Next

Do elite rugby players need 15 eggs a day?

Posted on : 04-08-2009 | By : Cindy | In : Special diets, Training, exercise & workouts

0

eggs2OK, I know eggs are a great food but I cannot believe that anyone would recommend eating 15 a day! That’s exactly what’s been recommended for the Indian rugby team to do in order to bulk up for next year’s Commonwealth Games Rugby 7’s. That’s a load of cholesterol and most nutritionists would have a heart attack just thinking about 15 eggs a day, not to mention the blokes who are actually eating them! I’m all for eggs but not that many (more about this later in the week).

More protein does not equal bigger muscles. If you want to bulk up and build bigger muscles you do need a bit more protein but not that much. An 80kg person needs around 100-160 grams of protein a day. 15 eggs provides 105 grams of protein but for all round good health and optimum energy for training this combination of foods suggested by the Australian Institute of Sport would be much better:  2 cups breakfast cereal with milk, 2 slices toast and a glass of juice; 2 chicken and salad rolls, a fruit bun, carton of flavoured milk and a banana; 2 cups of pasta with 100g lean meat and vegetables, a cup of low fat custard or creamed rice plus some extra fruit and a couple of cereal bars as snacks.

These foods provide carbohydrate as well as protein. It’s the carbs that give you the energy to train and it’s the training, not the protein, that builds more muscle. If you eat more protein than you need it doesn’t turn into muscle, it’s stored as fat!

I think a sports dietitian needs to offer his or her services to the Indian rugby team – soon!

Go to my other article on health benefits of eggs

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

P.S. I’m not sure who needs to offer their services to our All Black rugby team after their two losses in South Africa against the Springboks. Maybe they feel OK, but I’m sure a few of their supporters could do with some grief counselling now that we have lost our number one world ranking!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • FriendFeed
  • Digg
  • Propeller
  • Mixx
  • Delicious
  • Netvibes Share
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • Share/Bookmark

Write a comment (your email address is never shared or published)

..

Copy Protected by Chetan's WP-CopyProtect.