Can Eggs Make You Stronger?
Can eggs really make you stronger? This man consumed three eggs every day to see if eggs really make a difference.
I'm nearly 4 weeks into my eggsperiment. As promised, I've consumed three eggs every day without fail. The process has led to many expected changes to my life. While I had hoped to eat my eggs at the same time each day, the timing of my consumption has been anything but predictable. My preference is to enjoy eggs for my first meal, but sometimes my schedule doesn't agree, which means I down my daily quota in the late afternoon or for dinner. (Note: Eggs for dinner might be one of the most underrated late-night meals: Quick, cheap, easy to make, and surprisingly filling.)
Other aspects have been somewhat surprising. Despite some concerns, I haven't had any...err...ummm…"digestion" issues. (Much to the relief of my wife) But the best thing has been my recent surge in the gym.
I've been much stronger in my training since I began the eggsperiment. Keep in mind any assumption is just a correlation, so please don't jump to any unnecessary conclusions. However, it's been interesting to note the recent improvements. And remember, I haven't changed anything else in my diet. My macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats, and overall calorie intake) have remained consistent, and I'm still pushing along with the same training plan. And yet, each lifting session is better than the last. To be completely honest, I expected a drop in my training: I've been sleeping less (March is a busy month) and sitting more during the day. (did I mention March is a busy month?)
The reason for my performance boost? I honesty have no clue. But if I had to hypothesize how eggs could be playing a role, this is how they might help:
We all know that eggs include protein, but the yolk contains a nice dose of leucine--the muscle building, recovery boosting branched chain amino acid. In fact, a study published in Nutrition Today found that eating eggs is correlated with increases in strength while on a weight training program. While my protein levels have remained consistent, maybe a little extra leucine has done my body good.
Or could it be the high-quality saturated fat in eggs?. Yeah, you heard me, saturated fat. The same type of fat that boosts testosterone, which helps with strength and recovery.
It's possible that taking in more choline is assisting with my improvements. After all, this nutrient helps regulate your brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. If those are functioning well it can only help your body.
Or maybe it's because eggs reduce inflammation, so my body is just feeling better and handling the daily stresses of life and training.
Perhaps it's not physical at all--it's mental. Eggs contain a solid dose of the amino acid tryptophan, which just so happens to be a precursor to serotonin. You might know serotonin as the brain chemical that helps regulate your mood. And eggs also contain tyrosine, another amino acid that helps promote alertness. As they say, a stronger mind equals a stronger body.
Then again, maybe it's all a coincidence and I'm simply making my way out of a plateau. Either way, the added health benefits will serve me well inside or out of the gym–giving me more reason to keep on cracking my eggs.