It’s quite common for recreational athletes and fitness enthusiasts who participate in their sports or exercise regimens frequently to not understand the importance of eating certain fruits and vegetables that improve sports and fitness abilities. If they were to understand the way they can positively impact endurance, performance and stamina they’d likely be much more keen to incorporate them into their diet. Many of these men and women will understand the importance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, but pay little attention to the importance of micronutrients found in fruits and vegetables.
The micronutrient content of the select fruits and vegetables we’re going to detail below are conducive to maintaining health and optimizing exercise performance, energy production and tissue recovery. According to Caroline Perez , fitness and health consultant at Vitamins Canada It’s highly advisable to consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to support daily training and recovery, and to consider other tips for fitness success.
An insufficient ingestion level of fruits and vegetables can lead to you becoming fatigued more easily, suffering more in the way of muscle damage, having less than ideal muscle strength, and experiencing impaired immune function. Needless to say, any or all of those will inhibit the extent to which you can train, participate, and enjoy your sports or fitness activities.
Athletes and people who may be exercising intensively may also have an increased risk of illness and infection. With all of this understood, let’s get right to our list of fruits and vegetables that help you exercise harder and more effectively.
- Bananas – bananas are sometimes referred to as “nature’s power bar.” They are loaded with digestible carbohydrates and packed with magnesium and potassium. Potassium is the wonder ingredient in bananas when it comes to physical performance. It aids in maintaining nerve and muscle function and promotes more effective water retention. The last part of that is big – becoming dehydrated is a major detriment to getting the most out of your workouts
- Yellow Bell Peppers / Guavas / Kale / Kiwifruit – These 4 fruits and vegetables are the 4 best sources of Vitamin C from foods. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant which reduces oxidative stress (something that is pretty much automatic when you’re exercising or training vigorously) and supports a healthy immune system.
- Cauliflowers / Beetroots / Bananas (again) / Avocados / Apricots / Figs – All of these fruits and vegetables are powerful sources of magnesium. Magnesium is integral for energy production (big need, you must keep your heart rate up if you want results), proper muscle contraction (also a biggie, particularly if you’re training for athletic performance rather than fitness), relaxation, and muscle recovery.
- Capers / Onions / Cranberries / Black Plums / Blueberries / Apples / Cherries / Raw Green Chile Peppers – These 8 fruits and vegetables make the list because they are naturally primed to provide quercetin for your body. Quercetin is a flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables with unique biological properties that improve mental and physical performance. Apples and Grapes are so good for you on some many levels!
Naturally, the performance part of that is going to be easily associated here, but the mental part of it should be regarded similarly. We’re talking about your drive, your motivation, your ability to dig deeper. That comes from upstairs, and quercetin helps with that.
All of these recommendations will likely be more well received by both men and women who are no longer in the physical prime of their lives. When you’re in your late teens and early 20s it’s usually not to difficult to be at your physical best day in and out, and in truth those are great years to be an athlete or to train for sports or fitness! For the rest of us who’ve passed that stage but still enjoy exercise and competitive sports, it makes so much sense to eat right so that you’ve got what you need in the tank to be your best RIGHT NOW.
Enjoy the “fruits” of your labour to the MAX!
