Bananas to most people are just another fruit. We see people eating them every day and they’re arguably the most popular fruit of all. There are a number of benefits associated with bananas, from their content of potassium, Vitamin B6 & C and carbohydrates; to their ability to help protect from muscle cramps, reduce swelling and lower blood pressure.
Banana’s only contain around 120 calories for a large banana, and around 100 for a medium banana – but they boast a large profile of micronutrients beneficial to a number of aspects of health!
Benefits for Training
In terms of training, bananas also have a number of benefits; they’re useful as a pre-workout snack and are used by a number of athletes; the average banana contains 30g of carbohydrates which are in a simple form meaning they are turned into energy very quickly.
In terms of post-workout, due to their very beneficial micronutrient profile bananas are very useful for decreasing recovery time.
Bananas for Pre/Post training
1) Due to their simple carbohydrate form, bananas provide a quick energy spike which makes them ideal for eating just before exercise
2) Bananas help to keep you more alert and your reflexes on point
3) Muscle cramping is less likely due to bananas containing potassium which is an electrolyte
4) Vitamin C. One regular banana contains around 15% of your RDA for Vitamin C, which is absolutely essential for strengthening muscles, tendons and ligaments
5) Vitamin C also repairs soft tissue damage sustained when carrying out weight training and synthesises adrenaline
6) Bananas also help to reduce the amount of time it takes to recover from exercise
7) The potassium in bananas can aid towards muscle strength, making eating them before training a valuable benefit