Is fruit important before training?

Fruit contains glucose, and there has always been a question of whether it's better to eat fruit before or after training and/or competing. The glycemic index measures blood glucose levels, which are necessary during exercise and also afterward to speed up the recovery process. It's important to maintain good levels if we want to perform at our best, which is why we need to arm ourselves with the right foods.

Before and after training are not the same

Before training, it's important that the foods we consume do not have high glycemic values; that is, it's better to consume foods with a low glycemic index. This way, we'll be able to perform much better during exercise, as the glucose we have accumulated should come from foods eaten several hours before the exercise.

Things change after exercise, as the foods we consume should have a high glycemic index.

Glucose

On this occasion, we are going to emphasize the importance of glucose intake after exercise, as muscles will need fast energy, and fruit with a high glycemic index is a good alternative. But surely most of you are wondering which fruits have more or less glucose and which will be best for before and after training.

Therefore, we are going to compile a small list of the most commonly consumed and easy-to-find ones.

Before exercise

Fruits with a lower glycemic index, and therefore the most recommended for consumption just before exercise, include pears and apples. These are two seasonal varieties that are easy to find and also provide many vitamins and pectin.

Additionally, red fruits like strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, etc., are also ideal for consumption before exercising. Besides having low glycemic indexes, they provide high amounts of antioxidants.

Grapes and grapefruit are other varieties we shouldn't forget before exercising.

After exercise

For after exercise, we recommend those with high glucose values. Among them, we will highlight some like bananas, one of the fruits with the most glucose, as well as raisins and dates, which will provide the amounts the body needs.

Oranges and mangoes are two types of fruit that will also help us replenish glucose, as will cantaloupe and watermelon, which will also help us replace mineral salts lost during exercise.

Since we started training, the banana has been a go-to food, and it has countless beneficial properties for any sports diet, despite being a "forbidden" fruit for people on a weight-loss diet.

The banana

We've all seen a training partner eat bananas before and after training and wondered why. The truth is, everything has an explanation, and the banana is a good carbohydrate that helps us recover before training. But its intake isn't just due to this.

We all know that bananas are a good source of carbohydrates, containing high doses of fructose, a natural sugar found in fruit. It's one of the fruits with the most fructose, which is why many weight-loss diets prohibit or limit it.

For athletes, it's a great help in facing daily workouts, as it provides a good dose of carbohydrates that the body assimilates quickly. Another virtue worth highlighting about bananas is their high mineral content, especially potassium.

This helps regulate our metabolism and balances water levels, counteracting the effect that sodium can cause in many people who tend to retain fluids. This is why bananas can be a good ally in maintaining good fluid circulation in the body.

More qualities

Furthermore, its intake helps accelerate digestion, as it is a good gastric stimulant, which will be very beneficial if we want to avoid heavy digestions. It helps regulate digestive disorders like gastritis or the dreaded heartburn that often appears during exercise.

These qualities that bananas have on the stomach are due to their action as a protective film that coats the walls and helps prevent diseases such as ulcers.

It also increases our appetite, improving the assimilation of food and helping us maintain perfect nutrition, necessary for optimal muscle development.

From now on, we should change our mindset about bananas, as they can be more of an ally than a hindrance. Always carrying one in your bag is essential to maintain proper muscle condition, as potassium helps prevent cramps and other ailments.

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