Eating raw strawberries after exercise is beneficial for athletes, as they may:
- speed up recovery
- promote muscle growth and strength
- improve physical performance
- help sleep better at night
- boost the immune system
- relieve muscle pain
- improve blood circulation
Vitamin C, melatonin, folate, fiber, anthocyanins, and other flavonoids in strawberries make them such a great post-workout snack.
Benefits of Vitamin C in Recovery
Firstly, raw strawberries are a great post-workout snack because they’re packed with vitamin C. Strawberries are among the richest fruits in vitamin C. Just a cup provides almost 100% of the Daily Value.
High vitamin C dosages have beneficial effects on building muscle mass! Vitamin C helps athletes recover faster after strenuous exercise. It helps neutralize exercise-induced oxidative stress. Adequate amounts of vitamin C help athletes do regularly intense workouts.
Free radicals can damage muscle cells and hinder recovery. Vitamin C might reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
Athletes are more susceptible to infections due to physical stress. Vitamin C supports a healthy immune system, which can be beneficial for recovery and preventing illness that could disrupt training.
Additionally, vitamin C plays a role in collagen production, a protein important for connective tissues like tendons and ligaments. This might be indirectly beneficial for athletes by supporting injury prevention.
Vitamin C needs might vary depending on factors like training intensity, diet, and individual health.
However, athletes should avoid consuming extremely high dosages of vitamin C from dietary supplements. Too much vitamin C may have detrimental effects on muscle hypertrophy! Only reasonable amounts of food are good for athletic performance.
Benefits of Melatonin for athletes
Additionally, strawberries are among the richest foods in melatonin. Melatonin plays a key role in physical performance.
Eating foods high in melatonin after strenuous exercise has many benefits for athletes. For instance, it helps replenish muscle glycogen stores and neutralize exercise-induced free radicals.
Athletes could eat strawberries as a functional food that limits muscle frailty.[1]
Strawberries may increase blood flow
Moreover, certain bioactive compounds in strawberries could improve blood circulation. These compounds may play a key role in the synthesis of nitric oxide.
This molecule improves blood flow and helps oxygen and nutrients travel to tissues. It substantially improves physical performance. Also, it plays a major role in vascular and tissue protection.[2,3]
Hence, athletes could benefit by consuming a wide variety of plant-based foods naturally high in nitrates.
Strawberries may help you Sleep
Melatonin is also known as the “sleep hormone”. It regulates sleeping patterns. So, eating strawberries or other foods high in melatonin at dinner may support a good night’s sleep, which is crucial for muscle hypertrophy and muscle recovery.
If you work out in the evening or at night, you could have double benefits by eating strawberries after exercise. Actually, a great time to eat raw strawberries is before bed.
A daily dosage of 3 mg seems to be more than enough to prolong sleep after strenuous exercise.
Strawberries boost the immune system
Furthermore, raw strawberries may have beneficial effects on immune function. They might protect from infections and inflammations.[4]
Vitamin C, melatonin, and other antioxidant compounds in strawberries boost the immune system.
Athletes with fewer infections can perform more intense workouts per year. Frequent intense workouts are key for muscle growth, and better physical performance.
Even beginners can burn belly fat and build a lean body if they’re consistent on a training program for a long time.
Effects of high Manganese intakes
Raw strawberries are particularly rich in manganese, providing 25% DV per serving!
Manganese is a trace mineral that plays a supportive role in various functions of the body.
Manganese acts as an antioxidant enzyme, helping to reduce free radical damage caused by exercise. This can aid in muscle recovery and reduce inflammation after strenuous workouts.
Also, it’s a cofactor for enzymes involved in collagen production. Collagen is a crucial protein for building and repairing connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, which are all stressed during exercise. Adequate manganese intake might support healthy connective tissue repair and recovery.
Manganese plays a role in nutrient absorption, including essential minerals for recovery like calcium and magnesium. Proper nutrient absorption is crucial for optimal recovery processes.
Additionally, it’s a cofactor for enzymes involved in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. This means it helps the body convert these nutrients into usable energy, potentially improving exercise performance and endurance and supporting muscle growth. Manganese is also involved in enzymes that utilize oxygen for energy production. Proper oxygen utilization can enhance stamina and endurance during exercise.
Folate is important for Athletes
Strawberries are rich in folate as well. A cup provides 9% DV. However, athletes have a greater need for folate than the general population due to the increased stress their bodies endure during training and competition.
Folate plays a crucial role in DNA synthesis and repair. This is essential for athletes as exercise creates microscopic tears in muscle fibers. Adequate folate ensures the body has the necessary building blocks to repair these tears efficiently, promoting faster recovery.
Folate deficiency has been linked to increased muscle soreness after exercise. Maintaining sufficient folate levels might help reduce post-workout muscle soreness and stiffness.
Furthermore, folate is essential for the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. Adequate red blood cells ensure efficient oxygen delivery to muscles, enhancing endurance performance and reducing fatigue during exercise.
It’s involved in protein metabolism and amino acid synthesis, the building blocks of muscle. Adequate folate intake might support muscle growth and repair, especially when combined with proper protein intake and training.
High folate intake seems to have beneficial effects on muscle strength and growth. Hence, it’s a good idea to add strawberries to your favorite post-workout fruit salad.[5,6]
Athletes are more susceptible to illness due to physical stress. Folate is vital for a healthy immune system, which helps fight off infections and allows athletes to recover more effectively.
High fiber intake for athletic performance
Just a small serving (1 cup or 8 strawberries) of raw strawberries provides 9% DV of fiber. Athletes should follow high-fiber diets for optimum sports performance.
Fiber acts as a prebiotic, feeding the good bacteria in your gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome is linked to better nutrient absorption, reduced inflammation, and a stronger immune system, all crucial for optimal recovery after training.
It can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is especially important after intense workouts when muscle tissue breakdown occurs. Faster recovery from inflammation can lead to a quicker return to training.
Fiber promotes regular bowel movements and reduces discomfort like bloating or gas. This can improve overall comfort and well-being during recovery.
Fiber absorbs water, promoting feelings of fullness and potentially reducing the urge to overeat. This can be beneficial for managing weight, which can improve endurance in some athletes or help maintain a lean body year-round.
Tips to increase Fiber intake
- Focus on Whole Grains: Choose whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and whole-wheat bread over refined grains like white bread or pasta.
- Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Aim for a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day, all excellent sources of fiber.
- Don’t Forget Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are high in fiber and protein, making them a perfect post-workout meal or snack for athletes.
- Incorporate Nuts and Seeds: Include nuts and seeds in your diet for a healthy dose of fiber and healthy fats. They’re also rich in protein.
If you’re not used to a high-fiber diet, increase intake gradually to avoid bloating or gas.
Eat strawberries in the post-workout meal for a lean body
Moreover, eating strawberries as a post-workout snack supports a lean body because they regulate appetite. Strawberries are among the healthiest foods you can eat for weight loss!
Fiber in strawberries promotes the feeling of fullness for a couple of hours. Especially, when combined with protein!
Also, vitamin C in strawberries is beneficial for a lean body, as it helps burn belly fat and regulate blood glucose levels.
Melatonin is crucial for a lean body as well. Among others, melatonin improves insulin sensitivity, increases energy metabolism, and helps the body burn belly fat.
In fact, diets high in melatonin and vitamin C have been linked to a decreased risk of obesity.
In addition, sugar in strawberries regulates cravings for fattening food. It satisfies your sweet tooth with only a few calories.
May reduce muscle & joint pain
Raw strawberries are excellent dietary sources of phytochemicals. They’re particularly high in ellagic acid, anthocyanins, quercetin, and catechin.
However, processing methods may deteriorate the antioxidant capacity of strawberries. Raw strawberries have the maximum amount of antioxidants.[2]
Anthocyanins and other bioactive polyphenolic compounds have potent neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Consuming a lot of foods high in antioxidant compounds, which fight inflammation, could help relieve muscle and joint pain.[7,8]
Strawberries may protect the heart of athletes!
Most noteworthy, long-term strenuous physical activity can have detrimental effects on folate status. This can be bad for the heart, as folate plays a key role in the metabolism of homocysteine.[9]
Even people who follow a low-calorie diet for weight loss should get high dosages of folate from food in order to control homocysteine levels.
So, hard-training athletes who follow strict hypocaloric diets for a leaner body should consume a wide variety of foods high in folate.
How to eat strawberries after exercise?
Certainly, raw strawberries after exercise are the easiest and healthiest way to consume them.
On the contrary, bodybuilding athletes should avoid frozen strawberries, which are sweetened if they’re in the cutting phase. They usually have high amounts of added sugar and calories.
Also, you could add strawberries to your favorite post-workout smoothie. They provide flavor and make it creamy.
You should add protein powder to your post-workout smoothie. Not only is protein key for muscle hypertrophy and recovery but also it keeps us full for a long time. A protein-rich diet supports a lean body.
Moreover, you could eat a high-quality strawberry jam after exercise. In fact, the best time of the day to consume added sugar is right after exercise. At that time, the body has increased insulin sensitivity. It stores sugar as muscle glycogen. This process speeds up recovery!
Actually, two of the best post-workout snacks you can eat are peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread and pancakes!
How many strawberries should athletes eat after exercise?
As strawberries are low in sugar and have only 50 calories per cup, athletes could eat more than a serving after a workout. They could eat even 2–3 cups of raw strawberries.
Raw strawberries without added sugar won’t make you fat.
In fact, according to a recent study, adults who consumed 21/2 servings of strawberries a day for 4 weeks had beneficial effects on their health. Especially in the cardiovascular system. Bioactive compounds in strawberries lowered elevated LDL cholesterol and improved insulin resistance.[10]
Don’t eat strawberries before exercise
On the contrary, athletes shouldn’t eat strawberries right before a workout. Fiber in strawberries may affect physical performance and even cause stomach discomfort. Gas and stomach pain are common adverse effects.
Endurance athletes in particular should avoid consuming fiber at least 3 hours before a race!
