A banana contains plenty of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, in addition to carbohydrates and protein. When you are depleted of energy and sweaty after a jog, a banana is a good refueling food to eat because of its carbohydrate and protein content. A banana can also help replace potassium lost through perspiration.
Eating After Exercise
Eating after exercise is a healthy practice because it helps you recover and refuel. Go Ask Alice of Columbia University's Health Services indicates that eating a carbohydrate-rich food, like a banana, 15 to 60 minutes after any type of physical activity is ideal. During this post-activity period, enzymes that make glycogen are most active and depleted stores in the muscles will be replaced. Protein is also important to your recovery because it helps replace glycogen stores and repairs muscle. In addition to a banana, eat some lunch meat on a bagel to get your protein and plenty of carbs.
Carbohydrate
A banana contains plenty of carbohydrates, which provide energy and refuel muscles after you jog. As indicated above, what you eat shortly after exercise is critical because there are more active enzymes that break carbohydrates down into glycogen, which can later be converted to glucose for energy. Since your body is more efficient at burning fat immediately after exercise, any foods rich in carbohydrates that you consume will enhance recovery. Of course, a banana does not have many calories, but other higher calories foods that you consume will not as easily add fat to your physique.
Protein
According to John M. Berardi, a scientist and Ph.D. candidate in exercise and nutritional biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario, you need protein in addition to carbohydrates after exercise. A banana contains both, so it is a good food to eat after you jog. Protein is important because it helps build and repair muscle, but you don't need as much of it. Berardi says that post-workout nutrition should include 2 g of carbohydrates to every 1 g of protein.
Potassium
Potassium is lost from your body when you sweat, which is why it is good to eat a banana after jogging. Most people get enough potassium in their diets, but athletes need to replenish both during and after exercise because of heavy fluid loss. Potassium is important to nervous system function, heart function and skeletal and smooth muscle contraction. Eating a banana helps you prevent small deficiencies, which may cause cramping and muscle weakness.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database: Bananas, Raw
- Go Ask Alice: Health Services at Columbia University; Is It Better to Eat Before or After Exercise?; January 2005
- Top End Sports: Simple Steps to Optimizing Post-workout Nutrition
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Potassium; May 2009
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