Nutritional replacement products are essential for many professional athletes. Especially for bodybuilders, who count every gram of protein and carbohydrates, every millimeter of muscle fiber and every drop of fluid that enters the body.
This is especially true during periods of competition, when it is unacceptable to waste the body’s forces and resources on the digestion of unnecessary components of ordinary food – fiber, excess sugars and fats. It is the food substitutes that are carefully developed and manufactured by manufacturers with the aim of total optimization of the athlete’s diet.
Composition
The quantitative composition of food substitutes can vary significantly depending on who they are intended for. For example, for athletes, athletes, such a nutritional complex contains a large amount of carbohydrates and fats, and less protein. Runners don’t need a lot of muscle mass.
By contrast, a diet for bodybuilders is high in protein to provide muscle building material, and low in fat to avoid fat build-up. In any case, the following components are always included in the chemical composition of food substitutes:
1. Proteinsnecessary for all athletes to restore muscle tissue after exercise. As a rule, these are pure isolates of popular proteins.
2. Carbohydratesas the main sources of energy and fiber. Special complexes for preparing athletes for competitions contain very small amounts of carbohydrates, which contributes to the burning of fat in the body. And without fiber, too, it is impossible, since it is she who normalizes the work of the digestive tract.
3. Fats in small quantities, often replacing carbohydrates as energy components. With them, cholesterol is included in the composition: for all its shortcomings, the body needs it in certain quantities.
4. Vitamins. As a rule – almost a complete set of all types.
5. Micro- and macro elements… Basically, various metals are required for normal metabolism, the functioning of the nervous system and hematopoiesis.
As you can see, manufacturers of food substitutes have tried to create the most complete alternative to the traditional diet. But natural products still cannot be completely replaced. At least not for a long time.
Harm of substitutes
It is dangerous for athletes to switch completely to nutritional substitutes. Especially if you do it without preparation. The gastrointestinal tract and all metabolic systems of the body are designed for a certain ratio of different nutritional components. There should be more carbohydrates, less proteins. And many vitamins in bound form in natural fruits and vegetables are absorbed better and easier.
The transition to specialized sports nutrition, the purpose of which is to gain muscle mass, “dry” the body before the competition, weight loss or maximum energy effect, can be justified only for a short time before these very competitions.
In a short period of time, with such a transition, radical changes in the functioning of internal systems will not occur, and the results will be achieved. With a sharp and complete transition to a permanent diet with substitutes, even the most balanced ones, various disorders, hormonal disorders can occur, and in especially advanced cases, the harm from taking food substitutes even reaches ulcers and cancer. Be careful!
How to use meal replacement
But as a sports supplement to the diet, food substitutes have proven themselves very well. For example, they will be absolutely harmless, but at the same time – effective for achieving sports results, when they are used once a day as a meal. For example, such a menu will be effective: for breakfast and lunch, let’s say – a traditional salad or tea with a bun, for lunch – a full meal from a substitute, dinner – fruit, and in the breaks – again a substitute.
What’s more, many meal replacements allow you to dilute them with milk or juices. Such an application will allow both women and men to maintain a balance of natural components in the diet and achieve not only the benefits of a balanced diet, but also the effect in training.
So switch to sports meal replacement only in exceptional cases and for a short time, and your whole body will thank you very much for it.
Where to buy meal replacements?
Such products are not often found on store shelves; it is most convenient to buy them in online stores, where there is often a very large selection.
We invite you to take a look at the popular iHerb online store, with a large selection of sports nutrition and meal replacement in particular. And for new clients there is also 10% discount by promo code JLP325.
