One of the main fears of athletes when they practice their respective sport is suffering from a cramp. In this sense, it is common to see tennis players, triathletes and cyclists eating all kinds of fruits, gels and foods to avoid these involuntary muscle contractions.
However, not only athletes are exposed to cramps. Overweight people or liver patients are also prone to them. This being the case, is it true that eating bananas helps in preventing a cramp? The answer is concrete: yes.
To prevent cramps, it is advisable to follow a diet that includes fruits, vegetables and good hydration. In this order of ideas, Banana is one of the protagonists due to its high content of potassium, magnesium, iron and beta-carotene.
The Scientific Committee of the European Commission on Human Food highlighted that the optimal daily amount of potassium for a cyclist, one of the athletes most exposed to cramps, is 2,000 milligrams.
Katie Hiscock, a fitness and sports therapy specialist, told the BBC what bananas “is a perfect food for exercising: it is compact, not complicated to carry, easy to eat and full of nutrients”.
In addition to potassium, bananas have natural sugars that regulate the energy that is spent when playing sports. In turn, it contains the dose of fiber and vitamin B6 necessary to balance blood glucose levels.
Another of the main relevant factors to avoid cramps is related to having good hydration before, during and following exercise.
In that order of ideas, he highlighted MedlinePlus, water is the most important nutrient and yet the most undervalued by athletes. Water and fluids are vital to keep the body hydrated and at the right temperature, since during an hour of exercise several liters can be lost while sweating.
Experts suggest drinking 480 ml of water two hours before training and continuing to take small sips throughout the exercise day. It is also important to mix your water intake with a drink that contains electrolytes.
“Adolescents and adults should make up for any weight loss during exercise with amounts of fluids equal to the weight lost. For every pound (450 g) you lose while exercising, you should drink 16 to 24 ounces (480 to 720 ml) or 3 cups (720 ml) of fluids within six hours.” MedlinePlus.
