Sweet potatoes are heavily consumed by gym enthusiasts and physical activity practitioners due to the energy supply to the body, as their main source of nutrients is carbohydrates.
However, sweet potatoes alone do not fatten or lose weight. This will depend on the diet as a whole and the level of physical activity. To lose weight there must be a negative energy balance, that is, spending more calories than you have consumed. To gain weight or gain muscle mass, you need to eat more calories than you spend.
- Like all foods.
- Sweet potatoes should be consumed in moderation.
- Depending on individual energy and nutrient targets and needs.
- To do this.
- It’s important to find a nutritionist to create a diet plan that helps you get the results more efficiently.
As a source of carbohydrates, eating sweet potatoes improves performance in training and therefore helps you gain muscle mass. But it’s important to know that this process depends not only on exercise, but also on the balance of intakes between proteins and carbohydrates.
In general, it’s important to eat foods that contain carbohydrates and protein at a frequency of 3 to 6 meals a day. The ideal proportion of these nutrients is 4: 1, i.e. 4 times the amount of carbohydrates in grams of carbohydrates should be ingested when the goal is to develop muscle mass.
To do this, if 200 grams of sweet potato is consumed, it means that 40 grams of carbohydrates are consumed, so it is recommended to consume 10 grams of protein in the same meal, which can be obtained, for example, with 2 eggs.
See 7 essential tips for gaining muscle mass faster
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, which increases the feeling of satiety and can therefore also be used for those who wish to lose weight. To do this, sweet potatoes should be eaten with the skin, as it is the part of the food richest in fiber.
Another option is to include sweet potato in the meal with other high-fiber foods, such as vegetables and fruits, as this increases the volume of food and decreases caloric intake, which is a good strategy for those who want to lose weight.
In addition, the way potatoes are prepared is critical because they directly influence the number of calories. For example, the preparation of boiled or baked sweet potatoes will promote greater weight loss benefits than fried sweet potatoes, as the oils used for frying are highly caloric.
In general, there is no standard amount of sweet potato to consume for weight loss, as it varies from person to person and depending on the level of physical activity, weight and height.
Discover a recipe for sweet potato bread for weight loss
Whenever consumed in moderation, sweet potato can be used both to gain muscle mass and to lose weight, as it has many health and immunity benefits, due to its composition of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C and potassium. Think more about the health benefits of sweet potatoes.