Maximize energy, strength, endurance and fat loss with these 5 performance foods.
Avid exerciser or weekend warrior? Focus on foods that fuel your body, repair damage, reduce inflammation, improve strength and build muscle. Turn your frame into a lean, mean, moving machine with these super fitness foods.
Beets
Beets are high in naturally occurring nitrates, which are converted by the body to nitric oxide, a compound that dilates blood vessels, improves blood flow and enhances athletic performance. In one study, athletes who drank beet juice showed a 38% increase in blood flow to muscles, especially fast-twitch muscles, which impact bursts of speed and strength. In another study, runners who ate cooked beets ran 5% faster. And in a review of 23 studies, researchers concluded that drinking beet juice can improve cardiorespiratory endurance (the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply fuel during sustained physical activity and to eliminate compounds that lead to fatigue) as well as enhance exercise efficiency, improve performance and increase time to exhaustion.
Recipe tips :- Wrap whole beets in foil and roast until tender.
- Add cooked and cooled beets to a smoothie with bananas, blueberries and Greek yogurt.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are high in carbs, critical for energy before high-intensity exercise. Unlike other sources of carbohydrates, such as pasta or bagels, sweet potatoes are grain-free, gluten-free and rich in potassium, an electrolyte that’s depleted during high-intensity exercise. Low potassium levels impact muscle contractions, energy and endurance, so it’s important to replenish them with natural sources. Sweet potatoes are also high in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation. Drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil to add more anti-inflammatory compounds that help reduce pain and swelling.
Recipe tips:
- Mash cooked sweet potatoes with almond milk, cinnamon, chopped almonds and raisins for a grain-free breakfast bowl.
- Make “lasagna” with sweet potatoes thinly sliced lengthwise in place of noodles.
Hummus
Hummus is loaded with resistant starch, a slow-burning carbohydrate that minimizes and controls spikes in blood glucose and insulin before exercise. Resistant starches also provide fuel for beneficial bacteria and improve gut microbiota, which play an important role in the production, storage and expenditure of energy. Hummus is high in protein and iron, critical to optimal athletic performance via its role in energy metabolism and transport of oxygen to muscles. And studies show that legumes help you feel full longer, promoting fat loss and lean muscle mass.
Recipe tips:
- Spread hummus on whole-wheat tortillas and layer with avocado, spinach, sliced onions and salsa for an on-the-go breakfast wrap.
- Layer hummus, sliced olives, red onions, yellow peppers and goat cheese on pizza crust and bake until bubbly.
Almond Butter
Almond butter is a great post-workout snack that’s rich in protein and other important nutrients for athletes. Almonds are high in magnesium, critical for proper function of muscles and nerves; vitamin E to prevent exercise-induced oxidative damage; and other nutrients that help the body use oxygen more effectively. In one study, athletes who ate whole almonds before training improved their cycling distance and endurance and had higher blood levels of antioxidants.
Recipe tips:
- Whisk almond butter with sesame oil, rice vinegar and minced ginger for a creamy Asian vinaigrette.
- Make hummus with white beans, almond butter, olive oil, lemon juice and minced garlic.
Pomegranates
Pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants, including ellagitannins shown to reduce exercise-induced inflammation. In one study, athletes who took an ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract had less muscle soreness and significantly higher strength recovery after resistance training. In another study, subjects who drank pomegranate juice for 15 days noted reduced muscle soreness and weakness in their elbow flexors after resistance training compared to a placebo. It’s even better if you combine pomegranate juice with apple juice and/or green tea — the quercetin in apples and epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) in green tea have been shown to reduce inflammation in cyclists.
Recipe tips:
- Toss pomegranate seeds with sliced kiwi, tangerine segments, minced basil and lime juice.
- Mix concentrated pomegranate juice and pomegranate seeds with coconut milk and freeze in an ice-cream maker.
Written by Lisa Turner for Clean Eating Magazine and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.
Featured image provided by Clean Eating Magazine
Fitness Nutrition with MariGold
At MariGold, we have a variety of products that are all designed to fuel your body with beneficial nutrition to help you accomplish your fitness goals.
It all started with our Protein Bars. Each of our 16+ flavors is packed full of its own unique ingredients including:
- Potassium-rich Almonds
- Magnesium-rich Cashews
- Antioxidant-rich Organic Cacao Nibs
- Mineral & flavanol-rich Natural (non-alkalized) Cocoa
- Healthy Fats – Organic Coconut Oil and Grass-Fed Organic Ghee
The ingredient they all have in common is Premium Quality MariGold Truly Grass-fed™ Whey Isolate Protein Powder.
For decades, Whey Protein Isolate has hands-down proven to be the best protein source for building and maintaining muscle. It is rich in BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.
These key amino acids are vitally important for minimizing exercise fatigue and soreness, increasing muscle growth, preventing muscle breakdown, protecting and repairing muscle tissue, and even helping to improve liver function.
Whey Isolate protein has also been proven in clinical studies to increase nutritional status, glutathione levels, and immune function.*
MariGold Grass-Fed Whey Isolate Protein Powder comes in 3 flavors (Unflavored, Rich Chocolate Malt, and Creamy Vanilla). It’s cold-processed and micro-filtered, leaving it UNDENATURED and incredibly creamy. This process helps to retain the natural immune-boosting nutrients, antioxidants, amino acids, and minerals to help keep your body strong.
Then it’s INSTANTIZED, with choline-rich sunflower lecithin, so it mixes easily into your favorite recipes or shakes. Sunflower lecithin is rich in phosphatidylcholine, which helps protect against inflammation in the gut. That means MariGold WPI can help keep your gut healthy! Sunflower lecithin is also a brain-boosting ingredient.
Our flavored protein powders, as well as many of our Protein Bar flavors, also include L-Glutamine for added gut-healthy and muscle-building benefits!
Our protein powder is 100% pure, non-GMO, rBST-free, lactose-free, soy-free, gluten-free. It is low sugar (or no sugar) and contains no added sugar and no sugar alcohols.
Be sure to also check out our High Protein Coffees (Whey Protein and Collagen Protein available), Fat Bombs, Snack Nuts, and Collagen Peptides for even more beneficial nutrients for fueling a healthy body and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
