The african continent is widely recognised globally for its excellence in various sports. Sports in Africa traces its origins far back in history, and the same does their food culture. In africa sport and food will bring people together irrespective of their culture and social affiliation.
What makes africans so good and strong athletes? Why are the Kenyans so fast runners? Looking at most africans training & sports facilities they do not compete with the western world – but the african diet does for sure. They mostly eat a high carbohydrate diet with lots of greens and beans. This way of eating serves as a rocket fuel for the athletes. Ugali is the special main food item. Every African knows ugali and its main role in their societies.
What is ugali?
Locals in africa will have ugali with every meal. Africans grow up eating a lot of ugali. For people in the west, ugali is best described as a polenta-like dish. It is a starchy carbohydrate food item made using maize flour and water. The ugali does not have any strong flavour of any spice, but It has a natural mild popcorn-like taste.
Ugali is often used to soak up a vegetable stew. It is eaten with the bare hand. What you do is, yo take a small lump of ugali with your hand and roll into a ball. Now using the thumb, you make a depression in the centre, and scoop the stew and eat.
Ugali is fairly easy to make because you only need 2 ingredients – but you need to learn correct techniques to make is smooth. Water is boiled in a pan and the right amount of maize flour is added until it forms a firm dough consistency.
Ugali has good nutrition. High in carbohydrates, but also with good fatty acids and protein. It is a good source of B-vitamins especially Thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), and Folate (B9). The B-vitamins in ugali helps our bodies to use energy well. They also contribute to healthy skin, heart and proper brain functions.
Ugali contains many minerals. The nutrition benefit of minerals in ugali include; supporting normal bone and teeth development, hemoglobin formation, growth regulation, regulation of acid-base balance in the body as well as energy metabolism.
Food intake of elite Kenyan distance runners
Kenyan runners eat ugali for dinner almost every night. Generally, it’s mixed with a bean stew and other vegetables. Ugali and beans is cheap and very rich in good quality carbohydrates and protein so they make for a great post training meal. Kenyans always consume some type of fruit, typically mango, banana, watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew.
The diet of the Kenyan runners is very high in carbohydrate and very low in fat. Their total energy intake was mainly derived from vegetable sources. Even though their diet is based on a small range of food items. The diet mets all recommendations for endurance athletes for total protein as well as carbohydrate intake. Even their smaller intake of total protein was above the daily intake recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization and United Nations University.
Fluid intake was modest and mainly in the form of water and tea. Many of the top Kenyan runners will tell you that this tea is their ‘secret weapon’. This is because of the sugar in the tea. The Kenyans love their tea and they love putting lots of sugar in it. They approximately put 4 to 8 tbsp. sugar in 1 serving of tea.
A study suggest, when looking at their body statistics, that each runner is consuming about 10.4 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. Protein intake amounted to 10.1 percent of calorie intake. That equals roughly 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. About 13.4 percent of daily calories came from fat.
African bodybuilders also eat huge amounts of Ugali
Local gyms and bodybuilding is starting to appear in Africas cities, also the small ones. The gym equipment is old school – and properly comes from old western societies gyms. African societies ses the increased gym facilities as a good movement. Young (…and old) africans can through bodybuilding get a positive outlet to improve their lives. Perhaps the biggest sign that bodybuilding is alive and going strong in Africa is the fact that there is the Africa Bodybuilding Championships every year in Kampala, Uganda.
When it comes to bodybuilder diet and ugali, there is especially one famous Kenyan bodybuilder who is showing how even bodybuilders has ugali as a staple food. Charles “Ugali Man” Odongo is his name. He has several “Mr Kenya title’-competitions behind him. He got most famous after eating big amounts of Ugali on YouTube. Charles works as a gym instructor and owns a gym as well. Back in the 1960s, his father was also a bodybuilder and a boxer.
High carbohydrate diets provide better energy levels, support muscle growth, prevent muscle break down, and promote faster recovery after training, all of which are vital when athletes are training for size and strength.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12493093/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15657475/
https://runnersconnect.net/diet-of-kenyan-runners/
https://www.traininkenya.com/2018/08/08/diet-of-kenyan-runners/
https://www.nutrinformation.com/nutrition-benefits-of-ugali/
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/unique-sports/article/2001415883/bodybuilding-ugali-man-confident-of-mr-kenya-title-with-support-from-odibets