While protein has the best rep when it comes to building muscle, what more people forget about is that carbohydrates are also needed in the diet to complement your workouts. The one fruit to meet your pre and post-workout needs? A satisfying banana.
Bananas are easy to eat, leave behind no mess to clean up and are secretly beneficial when it comes to building muscle. The fiber, carbohydrates and other essential nutrients present make this fruit a must for the athlete’s diet.
Some of the health benefits of bananas include:
- Helps manage stress
- Promotes brain function
- Fuels your workout by giving you an energy boost
- Speeds up recovery with magnesium and potassium
- Helps maintain a healthy weight and prevents obesity
Bananas and Muscle Building
Here’s why bananas are a handy fruit to have at all times, especially if you are in the muscle building phase of your workouts.
1. Potassium Content
Potassium is a vital nutrient that is required by the body to help replenish and rejuvenate muscles post-workout. It has a big role to play in the muscular contraction process.
Research has shown that if the body doesn’t get enough potassium, our muscles are exposed to muscular weakness, cramps and fatigue, which can actually hamper your ability to grow stronger muscles.
2. Calorie Count
Bananas are made up of about 100 calories and are delicious to add to your pre or post-workout smoothies and snacks.
Higher than most fruits, bananas are able to boost your calorie intake (in a healthy way) and allow for excess calories to be used in the repair and growth of muscle tissue, thus promoting bigger muscles.
3. Carbohydrate Content
The amount of carbs you consume is also significant in the muscle building process. Bananas make an excellent post-workout meal as they help to replenish the glycogen stores in the muscles and facilitate the transportation of the protein to your muscles.
4. Nutrient Absorption
Bananas are known to promote calcium absorption, which not only strengthens the bones but also promotes healthy function of the digestive system. Due to these qualities, bananas provide better absorption of vital nutrients needed for muscle growth.
5. Enhanced Endurance
Being a good source of energy, bananas allow you to work out for a longer period of time if eaten pre-workout and helps to restore the lost glycogen after a strenuous workout. Depending on when you want to eat a banana, you’re still in a win-win situation.
Tips to Leave You With
Banana’s are one of the most popular fruits consumed in the world.
- While bananas are effective in the muscle building process, avoid relying solely on bananas and balance your diet with a good amount of protein as well.
- Bananas are high in carbs, therefore, avoid eating too many bananas in one day.
- Ripe bananas have more sugar than bananas that are still green in color.
The content of this Website is for informational purposes only, is general in nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and does not constitute professional advice. The information on this Website should not be considered as complete and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions, or their treatment. You should consult with your physician before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program and/or any of the beauty treatments.
References:
Samuels, M. (2017, October 03). Should I Eat Bananas if I Want to Build Muscle? Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/542175-should-i-eat-bananas-if-i-want-to-build-muscle/
20 Banana Benefits For Body Builders. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bodybuildingcraze.com/2014/04/20-banana-benefits-for-body-builders.html
