Exciting News about Sports & Eggs

Margaret Hudson
President, Burnbrae Farms
4^th Generation Farmer

Hi, my name is Margaret Hudson, my family owns and operates Burnbrae Farms and has been farming since 1891. I am passionate about nutrition and health and of course eggs! I am excited to share some of my learnings from almost 30 years of working in our family’s egg business and a lifetime of being around our farm.  If you have enjoyed receiving this information and would like to receive more posts, please sign up in the link at the bottom of the page for our company newsletter.

Hello readers,

I’m just in from a beautiful bike ride around the farm and the surrounding countryside. The farm is one of my favourite places to cycle because you can go for miles with very little traffic on the rural roads.

I aim to get some physical activity every day. If you’re into health and fitness, you probably know how important it is to get enough protein in your diet. Read any reputable article on the optimal fuel after a workout, and the advice will surely include recommendations to eat a meal rich in protein (to help the body repair and re-grow muscles) and carbs (to replenish energy).

As eggs are so protein-rich, they are often associated with athletes. In fact, Burnbrae helps fuel Canadian athletes who enjoy eggs, including Pam Am medalist Tim Nedow (shot put), who uses pasteurized Simply Egg Whites in his smoothies, and Olympic medalist Conlin McCabe (rowing), who loves hard-boiled eggs.

While many athletes rely on egg whites as a lean source of protein, a new study out of the University of Toronto shows that whole eggs may actually have an edge over egg whites as a superior protein builder.

Published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , researchers wanted to see if athletes could build more protein after a workout if they ate whole eggs versus egg whites. So, post-exercise, 10 men were given either egg whites (18 g protein, no fat) or whole eggs (18 g protein, 17 g fat), and the researchers took blood and muscle samples to assess the difference.

Turns out that eating whole egg immediately after resistance exercise rebuilt more muscle protein than eating egg whites alone. Why is that? It’s not fully understood, but the researchers think it may be that eating food within its natural whole-food matrix may make it easier to absorb, digest, and do its job in the body. And it may be that the extra fat in whole egg plays a role in it too!

Don’t get me wrong – egg whites are still an excellent source of protein after a workout. In the study, protein was replenished whether the athletes ate whole egg or egg whites. The difference was that the whole egg stimulated protein synthesis to a greater degree than egg whites alone.

Another benefit of choosing whole egg is that whole eggs provide choline, a B-vitamin that’s involved in memory, mood and muscle control. Why toss the yolks when they have important vitamins and minerals in them?

So, mix it up. Enjoy egg whites some days, whole eggs on other days. In any iteration, you will reap the benefits of protein from post-exercise egg-based meals and snacks.

Margaret Hudson

President, Burnbrae Farms