Eating bananas before a workout can give you the energy boost you need to perform your best, while also supporting your muscle health.
The sweet tropical fruit is packed with potassium, an essential mineral and electrolyte that regulates blood pressure and helps to support kidney and nerve function.
Eating just one banana can give you 451 milligrams of potassium, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That’s a sizable fraction of the 3,400 milligrams recommended for men and 2,600 milligrams recommended for women each day.
Having low levels of potassium can lead to cramps, an irregular heart beat, weakness, and fatigue.
"Bananas are a convenient and nutritious way to fuel a workout," Amy Stephens, a sports dietitian for New York University, told Health. "They offer key nutrients that improve exercise performance, such as potassium and carbohydrates."
But, potassium is not the only benefit.
Bananas are good sources of carbohydrates. One banana has 27 grams.
Getting enough carbs is important because they help to form one of the body’s main sources of energy. For endurance athletes, such as long-distance runners, loading up on carbs can help to boost performance and endurance.
“Not only can these extra carbohydrates reduce the likelihood of muscle glycogen depletion and [low blood sugar] during the event, but they can also improve your endurance,” registered dietitian Christopher Barrett told Hartford Healthcare.
Bananas are also a good source of magnesium, another electrolyte that improves cardiovascular functions and may even help people with brain health, according to Harvard Medical School.
These electrolytes are “an often overlooked aspect of fueling and are important to stay adequately hydrated and signal your muscles when to contract,” Kaytee Hadley, a registered dietitian, told Peloton.
But, for many people, it may all come down to what won’t upset their stomach. Fortunately. bananas are easily digestible and often recommended for people with nausea and other digestive issues.
Of course, you don’t want to eat immediately before your workout. Eat the banana within 10 minutes to an hour beforehand for the best results.
“If you are pairing it with a source of fat like peanut butter, it’s better to wait about 60 minutes because digestion is slower and it will take longer for the sugar to enter your bloodstream,” Hadley said.
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