{"id":3701,"date":"2025-03-06T00:50:06","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T00:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/can-bananas-aid-in-post-workout-recovery.html"},"modified":"2025-03-06T00:50:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T00:50:06","slug":"can-bananas-aid-in-post-workout-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/can-bananas-aid-in-post-workout-recovery.html","title":{"rendered":"Can Bananas Aid in Post-Workout Recovery?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are plenty of reasons why everyone eats bananas to recover after a workout. They come with a built-in wrapper, they\u2019re inexpensive, you can eat them with one hand, and they\u2019re 100 percent free of weird ingredients or additives. Oh, and they\u2019re delicious.<\/p>\n

Yup, the yellow fruit has a whole lot going for it. But are bananas\u00a0the\u00a0best\u00a0way to refuel after a tough sweat session?<\/p>\n

Sorry, probably not. Here\u2019s why \u2014 and what you could try eating instead.<\/p>\n

How Bananas Can Help With Recovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s true that bananas deliver some of the stuff your body needs post-exercise. \u201cThe simple carbohydrates in bananas rapidly replenish muscle glycogen, the form of carbohydrates stored in muscle tissue that\u2019s used during exercise,\u201d says sports nutrition expert\u00a0Marie Spano, M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., C.S.S.D., who consults for the Atlanta Hawks.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t deliver everything, though. Bananas fall short on the protein your muscles need to repair and grow stronger after a hard workout. They also don\u2019t offer much in the way of sodium to replenish the salt you lost through sweating, Spano says.<\/p>\n

But what about potassium \u2014 aren\u2019t bananas a top source? A medium banana will deliver 422 mg of potassium, a mineral that\u2019s also lost through sweat. But it\u2019s not crucial to replace lost potassium ASAP, says Spano. As long as you\u2019re getting it throughout the day (from bananas, but also from sweet potatoes, avocado, spinach, and even plain yogurt), you\u2019ll be all set.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

What to Eat\u00a0After a Workout<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So if bananas alone won\u2019t cut it, what should you be eating instead (or in addition)? Turns out, there\u2019s not one post-workout snack that\u2019s perfect for everyone. \u201cYou need to consider many factors, including the type of workout, the duration, and the intensity,\u201d Spano says.<\/p>\n

Jogged, practiced yoga, or rode your bike at a relaxed pace for half an hour? Chances are, you probably\u00a0didn\u2019t exercise hard enough to warrant a recovery snack. Rehydrate with plenty of water now, and plan to refuel with whole, nutrient-dense foods at your next meal or planned snack.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a different story if you\u2019re doing endurance work or resistance training. Gobble up both carbs and protein after a long endurance effort. For the carbs, the amount you need can vary (you\u2019ll continue to replenish glycogen throughout the day), but for protein, recent research shows 20 grams is the magic number for the average person.<\/p>\n

After resistance work, your glycogen won\u2019t be as tapped as after long bouts of endurance exercise, so focus on those\u00a020 grams\u00a0of high-quality protein.<\/p>\n

\"Bananas,<\/p>\n

Recovery Foods<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Protein smoothie:\u00a0Blend whey or soy protein powder with fruit and water or 2 percent\u00a0or whole\u00a0milk to make a creamy shake. Pick any powder you like, as long as it delivers at least 20 grams of protein per serving and is free of artificial flavors and sweeteners, says Spano.<\/li>\n
  • Low-fat chocolate milk:\u00a0Sure, it\u2019s a mainstay in the elementary school cafeteria. But low-fat chocolate milk serves up the right balance of protein and carbs that findings show can\u00a0promote muscle recovery and slow muscle fatigue\u00a0during future workouts.<\/li>\n
  • Beachbody Performance Recover Post-Workout Formula<\/strong>: This\u00a0high-quality protein blend gets the job done, and is formulated specifically to help you recover. Just mix it with water, shake it up, and sip.<\/li>\n
  • Fruit and Greek yogurt:\u00a0Bananas, grapes, or berries all work. Stick with\u00a0plain Greek yogurt\u00a0and add sweetness with the fruit.<\/li>\n
  • Chicken or turkey wrap:\u00a0Wrap julienned (matchsticks) vegetables with lean chicken or turkey slices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    There are plenty of reasons why everyone eats bananas to recover after a workout. They come with a built-in wrapper, they\u2019re inexpensive, you can eat them with one hand, and they\u2019re 100 percent free of weird ingredients or additives. Oh, and they\u2019re delicious. Yup, the yellow fruit has a whole lot going for it. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}