Bodybuilders, like all competitive athletes, have to pay close attention to their diets if they wish to perform at their peak. To achieve the combination of physical ability and appearance required to be a successful bodybuilder, close attention has to be paid to food intake. While fruits and vegetables are widely promoted for their general health benefits, pineapple may be particularly well-suited to bodybuilding for a number of reasons.
Bromelain
Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes that are particularly effective at breaking down protein, otherwise known as cysteine proteinases. Found in high concentrations in both the core and stem of pineapple, bromelain is generally promoted as a digestive aid. Due to the high-protein diet needed to increase muscle mass, this increased protein-digestive ability may aid greatly in achieving your bodybuilding goals. In addition to bromelain's effects on protein digestion, it is also an effective anti-inflammatory agent. By helping to reduce swelling, bromelain may aid in expediting your recovery from exercise-induced bruises, muscle soreness, strains and sprains. While such benefits are present in fresh pineapple, the heat involved in the canning or cooking process destroys much of the fruit's bromelain content.
Manganese and Thiamine
Based on a 2,000-calorie per day diet, one cup of fresh pineapple provides 10 percent of your recommended daily intake, or RDI, of thiamine and over 50 percent of your RDI of manganese. Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is essential to the reactions that lead to the production of cellular energy. Manganese, a trace mineral, serves a similar role, aiding your body's enzymes in the production of cellular energy. Supplementing its energy-producing role, manganese serves as an antioxidant by aiding in the removal of free radicals from mitochondria that may hinder their energy production. With the high energy demands that bodybuilding places on your body, the high thiamine and manganese content in pineapple greatly adds to its benefits for bodybuilders. Manganese is also essential to the development of bone and connective tissues. As increases in muscle mass place greater demands on your body's bones, joints and connective tissues, manganese may be essential to ensuring healthy progress toward your bodybuilding goals.
Vitamin C
With 32 percent of your RDI of vitamin C in 1 cup, pineapple is an excellent source of this immune-boosting vitamin. In addition to its role in helping to prevent minor illnesses, vitamin C is an antioxidant. By helping remove the free radicals that prey on healthy cells, vitamin C plays a role in preventing the development of arthritis and other joint conditions that may affect bodybuilders. A further role played by vitamin C is in breaking down fats and cholesterol. While prevention of the buildup of cholesterol is essential to heart health, the removal of fats is vital to maintaining the low body-fat percentage required for competitive bodybuilding. Vitamin C helps build muscle mass by synthesizing amino acids and aiding the absorption of iron. In addition to all of the above benefits, vitamin C is used by the body in the production of collagen, an essential component of healthy skin, cartilage and bones. This aids in ensuring that all aspects of your musculoskeletal structure develop at the rate that you are building muscle, while also helping provide the appearance of clear, healthy-looking skin that is essential to the competitive bodybuilding world.
Season and Selection
Pineapple is a tropical fruit, growing year-round in North and South American equatorial regions, such as Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Despite its year-round availability, peak pineapple season occurs between March and June. Of the many varieties available, smooth cayenne pineapples represent 95 percent of those imported into the U.S., according to the New York Times. When selecting a fresh smooth cayenne pineapple, look for deep green leaves and flat eyes, referring to the small spikes that section off the outer shell of the fruit. In ripe pineapples, a bright yellow color should be apparent at the edges of the eyes and evenly distributed across the fruit's surface. The surface itself should be firm but not hard, giving in a bit to a slight squeeze. Even when these other indicators of ripeness are present, smell the base of the pineapple to ensure ripeness. As much of the sugar content settles in the stem of a pineapple, a mild pineapple scent at the base indicates that the pineapple has ripened and sweetened throughout.
Member Comments