You Asked: Which Is the Better Fitness Fuel, Rice or Pasta? (2024)

Carbs are too often the first casualty of any weight-loss eating plan, but that ignores their crucial role in powering your progress in the gym. Concentrating your intake before and after exercise ensures you have enough fuel to push harder, lift heavier and last longer, while ensuring your stores of muscle glycogen are never depleted. But which to turn to? We pit them head to head:

For Your Health

Rice: Tuck into wholegrains. A review of 45 studies by Imperial College London found that choosing brown carbs over white can cut your heart disease risk by 18%.

Pasta: A portion of store-bought wholemeal pasta will contain more than half of your RDI of fertility-supporting selenium. Which makes your spag bol a true family meal.

For Weight Loss

Rice: Brown rice is full of fibre, which promotes satiety. Researchers from Iran found that ditching white rice for brown could help you shave more than an inch off your waistline.

Pasta: Even the white stuff could help you lose weight, according to a study in the British Medical Journal. Pasta controls your blood sugar better than other types of carbs.

For Your Energy Levels

Rice: With 28g of carbs per portion, rice is your jet fuel. Plus, wild rice contains magnesium, which helps your body to create ATP energy, staving off fatigue during your HIIT class.

Pasta: Although it has fewer carbs, pasta is quickly digested, so feasting on a bowl two hours before training offers plenty of energy. Also, it’s far tastier than a can of pre-workout.

For Added Value

Rice: When gut bacteria ferment the fibre in brown rice, they produce short-chain fatty acids, which encourage proper colon function, lowering your risk of infection.

Pasta: Researchers at the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology found exorphins are released during digestion of pasta, which could have an opioid effect. This might explain your massive grin after a plate of mac’n’cheese.

The MH Verdict? Rice Wins!

This was a close one. In their refined forms, white pasta wins out versus white rice, so save that for your cheat days. In terms of true health, weight loss and performance benefits, however, the fibre and mineral content of brown rice makes it the perfect fuel to feed your fitness goals. Go with the grain.