Instant oats – the perfect athlete’s meal

For years they have been considered a healthy power meal that makes you stronger and more efficient as breakfast, as a snack or as a snack before your workout: oatmeal or, in the 2020 version, also called 'oats'. While we used to find them quite unspectacular as a bland base in muesli, the delicate, white flakes have now become absolutely socially acceptable as “overnight oats”, “porridge”, “quick oats”, “instant porridge” or “oatmeal” and are not found in any breakfast restaurant more unthinkable. Where does the sudden hype come from? Because good things prevail or “The flakes rock!”, you could say, because oat flakes are a natural, nutrient-rich food that athletes especially benefit from. In this article you will find out why this is the case, what valuable nutrients are in oats, how best to prepare oats and what different forms there are.

Table of contents

1. Oatmeal as sports nutrition: Why oats make you stronger
2. Superfood ‘Oats’: That’s what’s in the flakes
3. Pimp my Oats: Everything you need to know about how to prepare them correctly
4. What are instant oats?

Oatmeal as sports nutrition: Why oats make you stronger

Oat flakes come from the seed oat grain. During their processing, only inedible parts are removed; the rest remains, which is why oat flakes are “naturally” a whole grain product. As such, they contain many important nutrients, such as lichenin, vitamins B1, B6 and E, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Oatmeal can lower cholesterol levels thanks to its beta-glucan content and also have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. This makes them a valuable food for overweight people in the fight against the typical diseases of civilization.

Oat flakes, or “oats” are a real all-rounder; This is what makes them so popular with athletes, fitness enthusiasts and anyone interested in healthy eating. On the one hand, oatmeal makes you feel full, which is why it can be helpful in diets (goodbye, cravings!). On the other hand, oat flakes have a lot of calories per 100 grams and a lot of carbohydrates, which makes them not exactly the lightest foods, but a good training partner! The type of long-chain carbohydrates they contain provides your body with plenty of energy (= more strength, more power) and can therefore support your training. Because oat flakes have a fairly high nutritional density (this is what it is called when there are a lot of calories per 100 g), they are particularly suitable for building muscle. During phases when you're building muscle, you have to eat more than you burn, which is why it makes sense to consume high-calorie foods. However, since long-chain carbohydrates and fiber, such as those contained in oat flakes, can be relatively “stuffing” and leave you feeling full, it may make sense to switch to instant oats or instant oat flakes. These are water-soluble, which means you can absorb relatively large amounts in a short time without putting too much strain on your stomach. But more on that later. Now you should find out why we are so enthusiastic about oats...

Superfood ‘Oats’ – that’s what’s in the flakes:

Why are instant oatmeal so popular? The question is easily answered when you take a look at the nutritional values ​​of oats: per 100 g, the healthy flakes contain around 368 calories, 13.5 g protein, 58.7 g carbohydrates and 7 g fat. You should expect around 40 g of oat flakes per serving.

Only good fats

Don't be afraid of fat! We can't say it often enough: fat does not make you fat and, on the contrary, is urgently needed by your body to produce hormones and cell walls, to protect the body and organs from injury and so that we can absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Last but not least, you actually have to eat fat to lose weight, as this is the only way your body can function properly. The majority of fats in oatmeal are unsaturated fatty acids. These types of fats are considered “good” because they regulate cholesterol and blood lipid levels. Oatmeal, for example, contains essential linoleic acid, which your body needs to build the top layer of skin and thus ensures radiant skin and shiny hair.

Flakes with complex carbohydrates

Per serving, oatmeal provides around 40g of carbohydrates or more (depending on how much you eat). In contrast to the demonized, quickly available carbohydrates in jam toast and the like, oats consist of complex carbohydrates that enter the blood very slowly and provide your body with long-term energy. Unlike eating pasta, for example, your blood sugar doesn't go on a roller coaster and remains stable the whole time, which is why you don't have any cravings later on. Another advantage of the carbohydrates in oat flakes is that they bind water and swell when processed into porridge etc. Your body then has a lot to do until it has digested the swollen oatmeal and gets hungry again. (Incidentally, this is also one of the reasons why oatmeal is so often cooked first or soaked overnight...)

Fiber in oatmeal

Oatmeal contains a lot of fiber, which benefits your digestion - to be precise, there are around 5 g of fiber in a manageable portion of 50 grams. If you are now wondering what fiber is: Fiber is indigestible plant fiber that swells in your gastrointestinal tract and stimulates digestion. If you eat oatmeal regularly, you ensure that your intestines continually cleanse themselves and pathogens are excreted. Another benefit that fiber brings is that it increases the volume of food. You remember: fiber binds water and, so to speak, expands further with the water it absorbs; Similar to a wet sponge, you notice the effect because you are full for a long time after consuming fiber-rich foods. If you assume a daily requirement of 30 grams of fiber per day, as the German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends, you have already covered a sixth of your daily requirement with one serving.

Are oatmeal gluten free?

Oatmeal is also popular with people with gluten intolerance. In the past, oats were wrongly excluded from the gluten-free diet for a long time - until it became apparent that oats in controlled quantities are also tolerated by people with celiac disease. Why did this misunderstanding even exist? Oats contain avenine, a protein component that is not well tolerated by people with gluten intolerance, as the composition of avenine is reminiscent of gluten. However, to a certain extent, avenin is harmless and is also a valuable food in a gluten-free diet.

Pimp my Oats: Everything you need to know about how to prepare them correctly

Overnight, with milk, or with water – how do you eat oatmeal?

It should now be clear to you that eating porridge etc. is generally a good idea. But how should you eat oatmeal to get the most out of the nutrients it contains? Cooked, with milk, yogurt, or raw? At this point you can let your taste decide.

Why to Soak Oatmeal? Because this makes the absorption of micronutrients easier

It is generally recommended to soak oats because oats contain phytic acid, which binds minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc and makes the absorption of these nutrients more difficult. If oats are soaked, the phytin content is reduced and the nutrients contained in the oats can be better absorbed again.

However, when it comes to how you eat your oatmeal, you should let your taste decide and listen to your body. If you just don't like soft, boiled oat flakes, find the consistency disgusting, or find the flakes too boring for you, then eat them in quark, with peanut butter or as a smoothie. The same applies the other way around: If you can't tolerate raw flakes, get a stomach ache from them, or feel uncomfortably full after eating them, then don't eat them. There are so many different ways to eat oatmeal; You shouldn't have to torture yourself. Another option, if you don't want to get used to the taste of oatmeal, is to drink oatmeal as a shake. Instant Oats is the name of this type of preparation in which tender or ground flakes dissolve completely in the water. This means your body can process the complex carbohydrates even more easily

Oatmeal protein – This is how you increase the protein content

How much protein does oatmeal have? As you can see when looking at the nutritional values, there is not a significant amount of protein in oatmeal. The protein is also vegetable protein, which is less easily processed by the human body than animal protein sources. But that shouldn't bother you too much: you can easily increase the protein content by stirring in quark or whey protein. Peanut butter or yogurt also provide extra protein. Preparation can also help you increase the protein content further: If you cook your oats with 200 ml of milk instead of water, you will get 7 g of protein that your body can further utilize, in milk with only 0.1%. The fat content is often as much as 4 g. Soy drinks also often contain a similar protein content. Eggs or egg whites, which you stir into your porridge, are a hearty change. This increases the protein content by around 7 g. Nuts, almonds and soy flakes also increase the protein content without having too much of an impact on the nutritional values ​​per serving.

Oatmeal and micronutrients: with fruit and zucchini on the home stretch

You can also really boost the micronutrient content by adding additional fruit or berries to your oats. Also popular with anyone who wants to keep an eye on their calories are so-called zoats – oats with grated zucchini. The zucchini grated into the oats increases the volume and makes the oat flakes even more filling.

What are instant oats?

For athletes, oats are not only interesting in the form of porridge or overnight oats. Instant oats are also suitable for daily consumption, especially during bulking phases, and will help you get your calories.

Instant oats or instant oat flakes are an unprocessed supplement that consists of pure oat flakes, without additives. The oat flakes have been ground into whole grain oat flour and can be completely dissolved in water. Instant oats are therefore the perfect drinking meal and, thanks to their nutritional values ​​per shake, which can be around 500 to 1000 calories (depending on how they are prepared), provide your body with enough energy to build muscles.

What are the benefits of instant oats in building muscle?

First of all: To build muscle you have to eat. Unfortunately, you won't build muscle with training alone, which is why you definitely need to consume more calories than you burn in everyday life and through your training. The more you want to build overall, the longer you have to be in a surplus. Basically, you should expect a daily increase of 300 to 500 calories. This amount is high enough to build muscle and at the same time low enough that your body will have a relatively difficult time converting it into a large amount of fat (because you definitely want to avoid that when building muscle).

Regardless of whether you are a hard gainer or are relatively easy to build muscle: If you have to eat more calories, you will inevitably eat larger meals with a higher energy density and carbohydrates, which make some people more tired, are also in excess. A calorie surplus is often associated with food coma and a feeling of fullness, which can quickly become unpleasant. Instant oats prevent these unpleasant side effects. Since they dissolve completely in the water and you drink them instead of eating them, your body does not register them as food and uses them quickly. Unlike typical weight gainers, they do not require any additional ingredients and are made from natural oat flakes, without any sugar, chemicals or artificial flavors. Depending on the amount, they easily provide your body with over 1,000 calories, which can give you an enormous advantage in bulking phases. Without any unpleasant feeling of fullness!

Instant oats and the time factor: The fastest breakfast in the world

Even when it comes to the time factor, instant oats are a worthwhile alternative for athletes before training. Overnight oats, porridge oats or other forms of oats often have to be soaked and prepared first: So you have to plan the meal, know in advance how much you want to eat and, if in doubt, get in the kitchen the evening before to prepare . Instant oats, on the other hand, can easily be put into your shaker, filled with water and you have an energy-rich, easily digestible breakfast that provides you with lots of carbohydrates.

Gym Nutriton Fine Instant Oats

Gym Nutrition Fine Instant Oats are unbeatable when it comes to their solubility: no matter what liquid you mix them with; After shaking the shaker a few times, the instant oats disappeared without a trace. They have unbeatable nutrients and provide you with everything you need to build muscle.

Our fine instant oats are also delicious when you mix them with whey. Alternatively, you can of course mix them with quark, yoghurt or another liquid, such as juice or kefir. If you like baking, you can also use the instant oats as a flour substitute for brownies, pancakes or waffles, but be careful: the result is absolutely not a diet version. You can find further recommendations on how to prepare your instant oats at the bottom of the page.

Instant oats recipes

Instant Oats Shake

60 – 100 g Gym Nutrition feine Instant Oats Fill the shaker with three times the amount

Pour the instant oats into a shaker and add three times the amount of water. Add whey as desired, or add toppings such as berries, yogurt, peanut butter - done!

Protein porridge with mango and coconut flakes

You need:

50 – 80 g Gym Nutrition feine Instant Oats (depending on hunger)

1 teaspoon psyllium husk

15 g Premium Whey Protein

half a mango

Cinammon

a teaspoon of grated coconut or coconut flakes

Pour hot water over instant oats, psyllium husks and whey. Simmer on low heat for around 5 minutes. Stir well in between. Enjoy.

Oatmeal muscle building shake with blackberries

You need:

50 – 80 g Gym Nutrition feine Instant Oats (depending on hunger)

200 ml water or milk

75g blackberries

2 THE QUARK

30 g Whey

1 tsp flaxseed oil

ice cubes

Dissolve instant oats in liquid. Mix with quark and whey in a blender. Add the berries and mix on high in the blender. Add ice cubes and drizzle 1 teaspoon of flaxseed oil onto the shake before serving. Voila.

Eine Portion (5g) in 400 ml Wasser einrühren und trinken. Die Einnahme sollte über den Tag verteilt erfolgen.

Wichtige Hinweise:Dieses Produkt ist kein Ersatz für eine ausgewogene und abwechslungsreiche Ernährung. Die angegebene empfohlene tägliche Verzehrmenge darf nicht überschritten werden. Das Produkt ist außerhalb der Reichweite von kleinen Kindern zu lagern

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