Edible insects: real sports food!

May 14, 2018

Edible insects: real sports food!

Sport, as well as exercise, pushes your body beyond its limits. No matter what your goal is, you need to eat before training. The body needs enough fuel to support you through the workout. It’s impossible to meet the demands of the physical activity without consuming some healthy food. Consuming the right nutrients right after working out is just as important. The body needs to refuel itself and it can’t do that if you don’t fill up your stomach.

Good nutrition is paramount when training. They can’t be separated. Actually, when diet and training work together, they accomplish much more than they could alone. The question now is what you eat. If you want to take part in your favorite sport or physical activity, you should try eating edible insects. Entomophagy has succeeded in catching the attention of many sportspeople and fitness enthusiasts, so it’s worth giving it a shot.

Insect food is one of the world’s best protein sources

Function of protein in sport and exercise 

Every person that engages in physical activity needs to include protein in his or her diet. Why is protein so important, anyway? Because it helps repair and rebuild muscle that is broken down during work out. What the macronutrient does is provide the muscles the amino acids that they need to rebuild themselves. If you are an active person, then you need to consume adequate amounts of protein. Research says that high protein diets favor endurance. While you can’t trust common sense, you can trust science.

Edible insects are packed with more protein

From a nutritional standpoint, edible bugs have considerable protein content. The crude protein content of edible insect food ranges from 8 to 70 percent of dry mass. It depends largely on the type of hexapod invertebrate and the stage of development. Sometimes, it makes sense to compare insect protein with traditional sources. What you need to know is that edible insects put to shame well-known sources of protein like beef, pork, and chicken.

edible insects proteins

If you were to compare, for example, a steak made with 100g of crickets to a 100g steak of ground beef, you would find out that the cricket stake provides 60g of protein. The steak of minced meat, on the other hand, only provides 20g of protein. Now, do you see the difference? The great thing about edible bugs is that they are high in protein and low in fat. This means that they don’t work against your efforts to stay healthy.

These are the best critters for you

If you want to benefit from an increased protein intake, you should include the following insects in your diet:

  • House flies

  • House crickets

  • Black soldier flies

  • Mealworms

  • Wasps

  • Ants

  • Bees

  • Termites

You’ll be happy to hear that you can find insect for sale online. There are many benefits to feasting on bugs. Scientists at the University of Oxford confirm that insect food is healthier. The critters also contain high-quality fatty acids vitamins, all of which athletes and non-athletes need. Researchers at King’s College in London have discovered that insects are a great source of mineral content, such as iron, zinc, and calcium. In terms of bioavailability, i.e. how much the human body can absorb, the results were nothing but positive.

Cocktails made with bugs

Maybe you won’t win a gold medal in the future but you’ll most certainly boost your physical performance. The next time that you’re trying to figure out what to eat, focus your attention on edible bugs. Edible insects, as well as energy bars and powders made from critters, are available online. They are the ones that help you reach your full athletic performance. Yet, without water, the nutrients aren’t transported and, consequently, you don’t get stamina or keep in good health.

If you need to take a drink before you eat bugs, then try a special cocktail. You can sip on gin made from red ants. If you don’t like this spirited drink, you can try making yourself a cocktail with brandy, cocoa cream, and insect powder. There are healthier options, though. Include cricket powder in your favorite smoothies. There is no reason why you should not include bugs in your drinks. Insects are the answer to your diet’s worries.

New in energy bars: bugs flour

Fueling with energy bars

The reason why people buy protein bars is that they want to perform better. Generally speaking, protein bars contain a high amount of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. They are meant for people who need a quick energy boost but don’t have the necessary time for a meal. Nowadays, businesses make energy bars out of insect flour. The idea to include insect protein into energy bars is somewhat revolutionary, bringing about dramatic changes in sporting nutrition.

Bug flour is just what the name suggests – in other words, a powder that results from roasting and grinding bugs like crickets and mealworms. Whether or not this gimmick will change sporting nutrition it’s not clear. What is sure is that it will change things for entomophagy. Nothing is added to the composition, so it’s 100 percent natural. Numerous people experiment with bug flour when it comes to cooking, adding it to smoothies and brownies. And they make homemade energy bars.

Insect energy bars are downright delicious

Has it made any difference in the performance of people who practice sports or exercise on a regular basis? Yes, of course. Triathletes, as well as gym goers, eat lots and lots of energy bars, either between their usual breaks or work meetings. Marcus Leach, an adventure athlete, is just one example. He insists that critters have helped him develop a lean physique and we have no choice but to believe him.

edible insects for divers

 

Should you be supplementing your diet with insect energy bars?

We think so. They are a convenient snack option, not to mention that you’ll enjoy the flavor. There are companies out there that make delicious energy bars from ingredients like cacao, almonds, coconut, and, of course, bug powder. They taste damn good. However, if you are into sport and exercise, then maybe you find taste secondary.

Proteins, particularly those found in insect energy bars, are the most sustainable. There is no need to use herbicides or pesticides and the manufacturing process doesn’t leave traces of chemicals or heavy metals. The entomophagy movement is rapidly growing in Europe and eating insect food will soon become a staple in people’s diet. What you need to understand is that you can’t get in shape without consuming insect energy bars. You are going to do endurance exercise and you need all the strength you can get.





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