This product is of particular value to different athletes. It even has a special place in nutrition because only the right combinations of foods can lead to significant results. The leading role here belongs to protein products, and this lactic acid product is its prominent representative. But what are its nutritional benefits, what functions does it perform, should you consume cottage cheese after or before a workout? This is exactly what we will talk about in our current article.
The benefits and harms of cottage cheese
Let's take a closer look at the beneficial and harmful properties of cottage cheese.
The benefits of cottage cheese for an athlete
The benefits are expressed by the following points:
- It is a source of high-quality and inexpensive protein of animal origin . In bodybuilding, proteins of animal origin are considered complete. Read about the nutritional value of vegetable protein here;
- Contains casein, which is necessary for an athlete before bedtime . Casein protein is more expensive than regular protein. Cottage cheese is the cheapest source of casein;
- It is a source of vitamins and minerals , without which muscle growth is impossible, and the athlete’s health deteriorates. Cottage cheese contains B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, selenium and other minerals;
- Cottage cheese in bodybuilding acts as a healthy food . Improves digestion, speeds up metabolism. Contains amino acids that help improve mood and improve performance;
- Improves health . All body systems function better, including the brain.
Harm of cottage cheese for an athlete
- Cottage cheese contains a lot of proteins . This is cool for a bodybuilder and any athlete. But only healthy ones. A high amount of protein becomes a factor that will significantly worsen your life if you have diseased kidneys. The harm lies not in the cottage cheese, but in the protein, which should not be consumed in high quantities if you have diseased kidneys. Bodybuilders consume 2 or even 3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Healthy kidneys can withstand 2 grams, but sick kidneys “slip” even from a gram;
- The harm of cottage cheese is the development of a disease such as acne . Again, we are talking about a high amount of protein. Here we are talking about genetics, predisposition to skin diseases;
- Risk of running into a fake . They are minimal, but it is better to check the cottage cheese for fake using the method below. Unscrupulous manufacturers use starch instead of the product in question. Sometimes palm oil is added. This is rare, but worth considering.
What ensures the consumption of cottage cheese?
Using this fermented milk product in the diet allows you to obtain the following results:
- Muscle gain.
Cottage cheese contains high quality protein. And proteins, as you know, consist of a whole set of valuable amino acids. Casein in cottage cheese is absorbed slowly, allowing the body to use it for a long time.
It is rational to consume cottage cheese at night, because breakfast is still far away. Full-fat cottage cheese contains quite a lot of healthy fats, which are essential for hormonal health. Cottage cheese with high fat content has a fairly high calorie content.
- Lose weight with this product.
The product has good satiety, while maintaining health and strengthening muscles. Naturally, if someone decides to lose weight, they should use low-fat cottage cheese.
- Consumption helps build muscle, and this is the main point for bodybuilders..
While losing weight, the athlete retains maximum muscle tissue.
- There is a significant improvement in health.
The modern human diet is characterized by an abundance of low-quality fats and a deficiency of high-quality carbohydrates. When consuming dairy products, the body receives sufficient quantities of high-quality proteins that have a complete set of amino acids. All this leads to improved health indicators.
How to distinguish a fake?
It is easy to distinguish fake cottage cheese: you need to add a drop of iodine to the curd mass. The color has not changed - the product does not contain starch. If the product turns blue, purple or other colors, the manufacturer has reduced the cost of producing the product with starch.
With palm oil it’s a little more difficult, but you can check: adding oil greatly increases the shelf life of the product and makes it cheaper. A kilogram of cottage cheese cannot cost less than 2.5 liters of milk.
The best choice is to buy cottage cheese on the market . Few people there will bother adding starch or palm oil, and most village grandmothers don’t have such technologies.
An alternative is proven cottage cheese from famous brands. They value their reputation and make money through the high quality of their products.
Benefit when used by athletes
The beneficial properties of this fermented milk product can be summarized as follows:
- This product is simply an excellent source of animal protein components that are of high quality and heterogeneity.
- The product contains casein. Buying a whey option will cost an athlete much more than buying cottage cheese. We can say that it is the cheapest source of this protein.
- Along with cottage cheese, vitamins and minerals enter the body in sufficient quantities. Without them, muscle growth will simply stop.
- This product can be recommended as a component of a healthy diet. It helps improve digestion and accelerate metabolic processes. As a result, your mood improves and your performance increases. Activation of the activity of all organ systems without exception is observed.
Unfortunately, there are also negative aspects associated with the consumption of cottage cheese:
- cottage cheese contains a large number of protein fractions and this is very good for a bodybuilder, but only if he is absolutely healthy. If there is a kidney pathology, then excess protein will only worsen the situation. The athlete consumes 2-3 g of protein per day. Healthy kidneys can withstand a load of 2 g, but with a larger amount problems may arise;
- People who have a history of pathology such as acne should not consume cottage cheese. This is due to a genetic predisposition to skin diseases;
- The risk of purchasing a counterfeit product cannot be excluded. Nowadays, unfortunately, this happens quite often. Poor quality manufacturers add starch, palm oil, and other undesirable components.
In order to answer the question of which cottage cheese is the best, you need to decide what goals and objectives a particular person sets for himself. If you need to gain muscle mass, then fatty and semi-fat varieties are suitable. Naturally, consumption should be moderate, since no athlete needs excess fat.
For those who decide to lose weight, low-fat varieties of curd products are just right. The intake of fat is limited, but the satiety is simply wonderful.
If you just want to maintain health, then different varieties are combined with each other. Of course, in terms of usefulness, low-fat products will not compete with the fatty version, but consuming half-fat varieties of cottage cheese is considered optimal.
A good combination is noted with a number of products. It will go well with chicken and quail eggs. A fairly good combination is observed when combined with lean varieties of fish and meat and with fatty fish. It can also be consumed together with nuts and legumes, which are a good source of plant-based protein. But it should be repeated once again that you need to beware of fakes. The effect will only occur if you use a quality product.
Difficulties in choosing: which cottage cheese is the healthiest
What is better after a workout - protein or cottage cheese?
Athletes involved in sports at a professional level highly appreciate cottage cheese. The whole point is its ease of digestibility, which we already discussed in our article. At the same time, the unique composition of the product allows us to talk about its total benefits for the whole body. After training, the body experiences a severe deficiency of nutrients and proteins, which can be replenished with just one cottage cheese. It has the property of being processed slowly, providing energy for a long time, without the annoying feeling of hunger.
Industrially produced protein is a popular and sought-after product on the market, highly valued by a large number of athletes. It absorbs well and usually has a very rich composition. However, its price can be steep. With the same properties, as well as natural ingredients, cottage cheese will cost several times less.
Rules for choosing and eating cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is available in almost every store that sells lactic acid products. Some people prefer to buy it on the market, which is also quite acceptable. There are a few simple rules that will help you determine a good quality product, especially if you buy it from a seller secondhand.
- Only natural cottage cheese is suitable for sports nutrition or weight loss. No cheese curds with fillings, much less chocolate or sweet curd masses, are suitable for these purposes.
- No cottage cheese can have a bluish or greenish tint. This is a clear sign of a chemical component. The natural product should be white-cream in color.
- If possible, try the product you want to buy. It should have a delicate milky taste. There shouldn’t be any strong acid or even bitterness.
- High-quality cottage cheese has a grainy but fairly uniform texture that can be rubbed with your fingers without leaving any grains. It should be moderately moist. That is, liquid cannot drip from it, but you also cannot take an overly dry option.
- If you are shopping at the market, it doesn’t hurt to check the seller’s documentation. Only a fresh product from a healthy animal will be useful.
- In the store, keep an eye on the expiration date. If it comes to an end, then it is better to refuse the purchase.
Not every time, but at some meals, the cottage cheese can be easily varied so that it does not get boring. It goes very well with fresh berries, fruits and even vegetables. You can simply mix the product in a bowl with the selected filling, or you can thoroughly beat it with a blender. Then you will get a nice air mass.
How to make homemade cottage cheese
To prepare good cottage cheese in sufficient quantities, you will have to follow a few simple rules. Firstly, it is optimal to take home-made milk, from the cow, and not a powder substitute for long-term storage. From a three-liter jar you can get approximately 600-900 grams of pure product. In addition, there will be a small jar of cream or even sour cream left.
Secondly, milk needs to be fermented in a warm place. Putting it in the refrigerator is strictly prohibited. In the cold, it is poorly separated into curdled milk and a thick fraction, and in addition, it acquires a bitter taste and an unpleasant musty odor. You should start making cottage cheese within three days from the moment your milk has completely soured.
Ingredients
- Milk – 3 liters.
Preparation
Leave the can of milk uncovered in a warm place. If you need to protect the liquid from dust, insects or other foreign objects, you can cover it with clean gauze.
- As soon as the milk sours, sour cream will collect on its surface. It must be collected very carefully from the surface of the curdled milk. The easiest way to do this is with a regular spoon. This sour cream can then be used in cooking or eaten just like that.
- To ensure that the jar is evenly heated, take a long knife and cut the thick fraction of milk crosswise all the way to the bottom.
- In a deep saucepan, selected according to the size of the jar, place a piece of fabric or a special device on the bottom so that the glass does not burst. Place a jar on top of it and fill it with water.
- Without covering the container with a lid, we begin to heat the water over medium heat, while at the same time our yogurt is heating up. The readiness of the product can be determined by the fact that the whey has completely separated from the curdled milk, leaving a thick fraction, which is our curd. It rises and then sinks to the bottom, cracks appear in it. The finished product is greatly reduced in size.
After letting the jar cool, you need to strain the cottage cheese. The easiest way to do this is with a piece of gauze. Fold it in several layers, pour your curd into it, gather all the edges together, and then hang it over a bowl overnight. During this time, all the liquid has time to drain, and you get a tasty and healthy product.
conclusions
So, let’s summarize why you should eat cottage cheese:
⇒ contains a complex of amino acids;
⇒ high content of vitamin B;
⇒ BCCA concentration per 100 g. reaches 4 g;
⇒ variety of fats 0-20%, which makes it possible to buy different products depending on the goal being achieved;
⇒ availability and price segment will not create a shortage when purchasing it;
⇒ in addition to amino acids and vitamin components, it contains mineral components (potassium, calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium).
Don't forget about cottage cheese as a healthy, tasty and nutritious product that will strengthen your immune system and help you gain weight or lose weight!
Cottage cheese after training for muscle growth, mass gain and weight loss
With pre-eating cottage cheese before active sports, everything is more or less clear. All that remains is to find out whether and why you can eat cottage cheese after a workout. The answer to the first question is definitely yes, but now we’ll figure out why it’s worth doing this.
For weight loss
It is no secret that nutritionists have long recognized cottage cheese as an ideal product for losing excess body weight. The thing is that it contains a large amount of protein with minimal carbohydrates. Moreover, as we have already said, the product is saturated with “slow” carbohydrates, which take a long time to be broken down by the body, providing nutrition and energy for a long time.
