Pre-workout snacks give your body the fuel it needs before your training session and include crucial nutrients to help your muscles relax after pushing them to the max. Bananas aren’t just convenient. They’re one of the best workout snacks, they’re natural, packed with nutrients, and even come in their own eco-friendly packaging (just watch your step!).
By the end of the article, you’ll be reaching for one before every workout.
Benefits of bananas
Pre-workout fuel should include foods that don’t upset your gastrointestinal system, are packed with easily digestible carbohydrates and relatively low in fibre and fat. It’s essential to snack on healthy carbohydrates pre-workout because they provide the body with glucose: our body and brain’s primary energy source. If you don’t fuel your body with enough carbohydrates before a workout, you’ll be more likely to experience exercise-induced hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels, can cause dizziness, fatigue, and even fainting.
Bananas are an excellent pre-workout snack since they’re packed with all the essential nutrients your body needs. Research has shown that they may be helpful for cardiovascular and digestive health. They have a range of health benefits.
Packed with nutrients
Bananas contain a fair amount of carbohydrates, water, fibre, and antioxidants, with little protein and very little fat. One medium-sized banana contains:
- Around 112 calories
- 0.4 grams of fat
- 1 gram of protein
- 29 grams of carbohydrates
- 3 grams of fibre
- 12% of the Daily Value (DV) Vitamin C
- 7% of the DV riboflavin
- 6% of the DV folate
- 5% of the DV niacin
- 11% of the DV copper
- 10% of the DV potassium
- 8% of the DV magnesium
Improved overall health benefits
Bananas’ essential nutrients not only provide excellent fuel for your body, but research has shown that they also help with or improve a lot of aspects of your general health, including:
- Improved blood sugar levels
- Aid in digestive health
- Increase weight loss
- Improve heart health
- High antioxidant levels reduce heart disease and macular degeneration
- Help you feel fuller/more satisfied
- Improved insulin sensitivity (unripe bananas only)
- Improve kidney health
- Support exercise performance
When should you eat them?
It is crucial to eat your pre-workout snack well in advance to give your body time to digest it, so that your body gets to reap all the nutritional benefits. The golden rule for this is eating pre-workout snacks 10 to 30 minutes before working out. If you’re pairing a banana with a fat, like peanut butter, eat it at least 60 minutes before working out, because fat digestion is slower and takes longer to enter your bloodstream.
If you’d prefer a post-workout snack that replenishes some of those essential nutrients used during your workout, like electrolytes, consider eating one large banana (or two small ones) after a lengthy or intense workout. The potassium and magnesium present in them are perfect for improving muscle recovery, while other nutrients steady your blood glucose levels (preventing a crash in overall energy levels).
Ways to enjoy bananas pre- or post-workout
Bananas are naturally sweet and delicious on their own, but if you’re looking for a moreish snack, use bananas to make banana energy balls, smoothies, protein muffins, smoothie bowls, protein pancakes, or popsicles.
Try out some of our favourite banana recipes:
- Chocolate banana, avocado smoothie
- Banana and salted caramel flap jacks
- Banana, peanut butter and espresso smoothie
