Martial arts require a lot of sweat, strength, speed, and power.
Therefore, you will need the easiest and best way to receive, sustain, and replenish energy. Whether it is pre, post, or possibly, during your training, you must have fuel to continue high performance.
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world. They are small but packed with lots of energy, nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals and have a huge impact on your health, performance, and training. Bananas are a favorite source of energy for athletes because of their composition; having carbs, protein, potassium, and magnesium; perfect to replace what you lose quickly for your body to keep on training and performing.
One medium-sized banana (120g) contains 106 calories, 27g of carbohydrates, 3.2g of fiber, 1.4g of protein, 400mg of potassium, 35mg of magnesium, and 0.4g of fat.
Here is why eating three bananas will improve your health, boost your performance and enhance your training.
Potassium and Magnesium
Three bananas a day will give you 1100mg of potassium per day. The RDV for potassium is 4000mg. Also, it will provide 105mg of magnesium. The RDV for magnesium is 450mg.
Potassium and magnesium are important minerals that regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, maintain nerve function, control fluid balance, contract the heart and muscles, rebuild muscles, make the heartbeat regularly and properly.
Given that potassium and magnesium are lost and excreted significantly through sweating, it makes the banana perfect before, during, and after your martial arts training. And, during those long competition/tournament days when your energy levels drastically drop, you need to have the best and fastest way to maintain energy and refuel. The banana is a perfect choice and simple solution. You don’t need highly complicated sugary drinks.
High in Carbs
Bananas are an excellent source of carbs. Bananas have simple and complex carbs but more complex in structure because of dietary fiber. Simple carbs are broken down into glucose (sugar) for immediate energy and the complex are stored as glycogen for later when needed. So, you can see how bananas are great for training and performance.
What is most interesting about the banana is how it releases simple sugar. The fiber in the banana slows and regulates the absorption rate of the simple sugars into the bloodstream. It provides your body with a steady release of glucose (simple sugar) rather than a big hit that spikes your blood sugar quickly, leaving you tired and fatigued when it drops back down.
Acts as an Anti-Inflammatory
A banana can replace a sports drink used to refuel carbohydrates and speed recovery.
A study found that eating a banana acts comparably or better than an anti-inflammatory. In a study, they found that eating a banana, as well as drinking a sports drink, before and during the workout, prolonged energy to continue for a longer duration or at a higher intensity. Interestingly, eating a banana after the workout sped up recovery more than the sports drink. However, both of them decreased the levels of inflammation in their body after the workout. The banana and the sports drink were able to effectively diminish the enzyme, COX-2, which creates inflammation during training. Surprisingly, the inflammation was significantly more suppressed from eating a banana. This significant suppression in COX-2 was not seen by drinking a sports drink or water. Furthermore, drinking water only actually increased COX-2 during and after training.
Antioxidant
Exercise and training do produce free radicals because of the burning of energy and nutrient breakdown. However, through exercise, the body enhances the mechanisms in which they deal with free radicles that increase protection. Although, exercise enhances your body’s ability to defend against free radicles, eating bananas can secure that defense. Bananas contain an antioxidant called catechins. Catechins are able to cross over into the brain to reach the CNS making them an excellent source to combat neurodegenerative and aging diseases, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Bananas are the best choice for martial arts training and can be eaten pre, during, and post-workout training. They provide your body with longer-lasting energy, without making you feel heavy. Sports drinks have artificial flavors and synthetic ingredients that can upset your stomach and intestines.
Bananas strike twice with one punch. They are all-natural and have the perfect amount of nutrition to support your training and at the same time your health. They are the best training source because when you are competing and training, you need to find powerful snacks not meals. They are easy to transport, simple to digest, and quick to eat. Meals take hours to digest and the digestion will inhibit your performance and training. So, go bananas!
