COMPOSITION
1 - SHELL Outer covering of egg, composed largely of calcium carbonate. May be white or brown depending on bred of chicken. Color does not affect egg quality, flavor, cooking characteristics, nutritive value or shell thickness.
2 - AIR CELL Pocket of air formed at large end of egg caused by contraction of the contents during cooling after laying. Increases in size as egg ages.
3 - SHELL MEMBRANES Two membranes - inner and outer shell membranes - surround the albumen. Provide protective barrier against bacterial penetration. Air cell forms between these two membranes.
4 - THIN ALBUMEN (WHITE) Nearest to the shell. Spreads around thick white of high-quality egg.
5 - THICK ALBUMEN (WHITE) Major source of egg riboflavin and protein. Stands higher and spreads less than thin white in higher-grade eggs. Thins and becoomes indistinguishable from thin white in lower-grade eggs.
6 - CHALAZAE Twisted, cord-like strands of egg white. Anchor yolk in center of egg. Prominent chalazae indicate freshness.
7 - VITELLINE (YOLK) MEMBRANE Closer seal which holds egg yolk.
8 - GERMINAL DISC
9 - YOLK Yellow portion of egg. Color varies with feed of the hen, but doesn't indicate nutritive content. Major source of egg vitamins, minerals and fat and about half of the protein.
Part of why body builders like egg whites is that they are high in protein and have practically zero fat. Fat is in the yolks. 1 cup of egg white contains 26 grams of protein, and 126 calories only 4 calories are from fat. If someone is trying to get down to 5-6% body fat they won't eat the yolk of an egg.
I lift weights at least 5-6 days a week and as an off shoot of that have become interested in the nutritional aspects of bodybuilding. Frankly some of it looks a little scary to me. Pretty extreme measures for those interested what it takes to look like the competitive bodybuilders or fitness competitors. I am only interested in the health benefits but in my reading books and websites (
www.bodybuilding.com is really informative). I do find it worrisome about the marketing of the protein supplements and the anabolic products - some of which don't make sense from a pharmacological perspective and others which may not be 'steroids" per se but act as precursors...thus a steroid is a steroid is a steroid...I'm a pharmacist and this whole idea that "natural" is better, safer, etc etc makes me crazy sometimes. Body systems and receptors respond to "chemicals" natural or otherwise...doesn't distinquish natural from synthetic - but that is another entire different discussion.
My trainer used to compete and the things he describes that they do to get ready for a competition actually can kill you. A lot of those guys standing on the stages are actually in the throes of some pretty significant metabolic derangements of electrolytes etc to get that "peak" look. Body building in men is beginning to be seen as the anorexia of women .... it is an interesting subculture. Read: Muscle, by Samuel Fussell. Sometimes serious can be come obsessive.
Personally, I believe that a good weight lifting program should be the basis of any fitness regimen, in addition to regular cardio.