There is an old debate about whether we should eat before a workout or not. And the arguments are strong for each side of the debate. You need the strength that food gives you to resist the exercise, but food also requires energy to be processed, the energy that you also need for the workout. The one food recommended and that would satisfy both sides is a banana.
A banana before your workout is small enough not to need a high amount of energy to be digested. It is also one of the most-friendly foods for stomach problems, such as burns, vomiting, diarrhea, or vomiting. It is botanically considered a berry, so every other recommendation that glorifies berries glorifies bananas too.
A raw banana contains 75% water, 23% carbohydrates, 1% protein, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber. 100-grams of banana supplies 89 Calories. Here are the 2 most important reasons why you should have a banana before your workout.
Why a banana before workout is ideal
Potassium
Potassium helps with the propagation of action potentials in neuronal, muscular, and cardiac tissue, all of which you need while exercising. Hormone secretion and action, vascular tone, systemic blood pressure control, and fluid and electrolyte balance depend on potassium. And you depend on them to make it through the effort a workout session requires.
But remember not to exaggerate with consuming it. Containing potassium-40, bananas are radioactive. Consuming one banana equals 1% of the average daily exposure to radiation. One banana a day should be enough.
Carbs
They are the major source of energy in your body. Your metabolism uses carbs to generate glucose, fructose, and galactose. They are all used as energy. Unused glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the muscles and liver. But don’t worry, there will be nothing left from that banana after a workout. If you are under the keto diet, then that means that you can only have half a banana and that’s it with carbs for the day.
