Cooked or Raw Eggs for Muscle Recovery? - IDEA Health & Fitness (2024)

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Cooked or Raw Eggs for Muscle Recovery? - IDEA Health & Fitness? ›

Besides the salmonella risk, downing eggs raw won't provide as much fuel for muscle growth. Studies show that the protein in fully cooked eggs is 91% bio available, or ready to be used by the body. Raw eggs are only half as potent.

Raw eggs have less protein

If you've been eating uncooked eggs in the name of muscle gains, it's okay to choose a hard-boiled egg next time. In fact, cooked eggs pack a bigger protein punch. “Cooking breaks down protein to make digestion easier,” Staff said.

Eggs provide all of the nine essential amino acids (also known as the building blocks of protein), making them an effective food for maintaining, building and repairing muscle. For a portable snack to enjoy post-workout, you can't go wrong with a simple serving of hard boiled eggs.

Research indicates that eating 20-30 grams of protein from foods that include leucine, such as eggs, may promote muscle repair after exercise¹. One large egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein with all nine essential amino acids.

A couple of boiled eggs with toast or a Spanish tortilla omelette with potato would make an excellent recovery meal. Eggs are also rich in leucine – research suggests that this amino acid may be a trigger for increased muscle metabolism when protein is consumed after exercise.

Overall, shorter and lower-heat cooking methods cause less cholesterol oxidation and help retain most of the egg's nutrients. For this reason, poached and boiled (either hard or soft) eggs may be the healthiest to eat. These cooking methods also don't add any unnecessary calories.

Besides, raw eggs are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect our eyes. It also reduces the risk of age-related diseases. Most of the nutrients are concentrated in the yolk, the egg white mainly contains protein, which is why some bodybuilders or people who are on a diet should only use it.

Most often, bodybuilders will add raw eggs to their post-workout shakes or smoothies to boost their protein intake. While cracking a raw egg into your cup will up your shake or smoothie's protein content, eating a lightly cooked egg instead will give your body even more protein to work with.

It is well-known that egg (protein) ingestion after exercise strongly stimulates muscle growth (1, 2). Recent work has even shown that the ingestion of whole eggs stimulates muscle growth to a greater extent compared to only ingesting the egg whites (2).

Despite raw eggs containing slightly more nutrients, the nutrients in cooked eggs are in fact easier for your body to digest and absorb. One study found that the body is able to absorb 90% of the protein found in cooked eggs compared to only 50% in raw eggs.

How many eggs did Arnold Schwarzenegger eat a day? ›

And we don't just mean a three-egg omelette. In a clip from Entertainment Tonight, Schwarzenegger mentioned that he ate a lot of meat and eggs: 'I ate 10-15 eggs a day and had my 250 grams of protein a day because I weighed 250 pounds.

If you're choosing raw eggs because of the protein punch, it might surprise you that cooked eggs can actually give your body more protein. Cooking eggs breaks down the protein, making it easier for you to digest, which means your body will have more protein to use.

Consuming raw eggs puts you at risk for contracting salmonellosis, a foodborne illness from Salmonella bacteria that can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Salmonella can be on the outside of an eggshell but also inside the egg itself.

Muscles need protein to repair and grow. Eggs are rich in high quality protein – supplying all 9 essential amino acids - and are therefore an ideal choice for post-workout nutrition. The greater your muscle mass, the more calories you burn, even when resting.

For a healthy adult with normal cholesterol levels and no significant underlying heart disease risk factors, some research suggests that 1–2 eggs per day can be safe.

Most often, bodybuilders will add raw eggs to their post-workout shakes or smoothies to boost their protein intake. While cracking a raw egg into your cup will up your shake or smoothie's protein content, eating a lightly cooked egg instead will give your body even more protein to work with.

If you're choosing raw eggs because of the protein punch, it might surprise you that cooked eggs can actually give your body more protein. Cooking eggs breaks down the protein, making it easier for you to digest, which means your body will have more protein to use.

While raw eggs provide some calories, lots of other healthy foods contain more calories per serving, so simply drinking raw eggs may not be the best way to gain weight. Most important, you can incur serious risks from drinking raw eggs, so this practice isn't recommended.

Consuming whole eggs, including yolks, is important to get the maximum testosterone-boosting effects from eggs. It's also best to cook eggs as raw eggs can be difficult to digest, and you may not absorb enough nutrients and cholesterol to promote testosterone production.