Why do athletes prefer bananas? What do ordinary people need to pay attention to when eating bananas?

A few days ago, the picture of Chen Meng eating bananas during the break of the competition was noticed by the audience, and even became a hot search.

If we look closely at the reports on athletes at home and abroad, we will find that athletes from almost all countries like to eat bananas, and often eat bananas during competitions. Whether it's mountain bikers, ball players such as tennis and table tennis, or even runners... Bananas are often found in their recipes.

Specifically, what nutrients are in a banana? From a mineral point of view, bananas are rich in potassium and magnesium, and they are still relatively good in fruits. But from a vitamin point of view, it is lackluster, so why do athletes from all over the world unanimously favor bananas? This, of course, is because it has some advantages that most other fruits do not have.

Top 10 advantages of bananas for athletes

1. Bananas are rich in carbohydrates and have a higher caloric value in fruits. Compared with fat and protein, carbohydrates can replenish energy for athletes faster, and the digestive burden is small and the metabolic burden is also small. People who know a little about sports nutrition know that supplementing carbohydrates at the right time before, during and after the game is very important for maintaining a high level of physical fitness.

2. Bananas are rich in carbohydrate types, including fast-absorbing sugars such as glucose and fructose, as well as slow-digesting starches and resistant starches. Bananas have a much lower glycemic index than bread, steamed buns, and rice, and can continuously and stably release glucose, unlike drinking sugar water, where blood sugar rises rapidly and then drops rapidly. Stable blood sugar levels are important for smooth play during the game.

3. Bananas are solid food and have a good feeling of fullness. It is lower than most fruits, and water is released slowly in the body. It is not like a liquid drink, the feeling of fullness is low, the moisture is quickly absorbed by the body, and then rushed to the bathroom.

4. Compared with ordinary staple foods, bananas are rich in polyphenols. Bananas have strong antioxidant capacity, and their oxygen free radical absorption capacity can be comparable to kiwi fruit, citrus juice and so on. When athletes exercise at high intensity, the body produces a large number of free radicals, the inflammatory response rises, and more antioxidants are needed to help the body maintain metabolic balance.

5. Bananas are known for being rich in potassium, and adequate potassium is conducive to reducing neuromuscular tension. In stressful racing moments, the characteristic of high potassium is very meaningful for athletes.

6. Many people have heard that eating bananas can give people a good mood, which may be largely due to the trace amount of biological amines contained in bananas. Bananas contain serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, among which serotonin will make people feel relaxed and happy, which is also beneficial to alleviate the relaxation of athletes during competition.

7. Bananas are soft in texture, easy to chew, and can be eaten in the shortest time. In preparation and competition, you can eat a banana for as long as you have one or two minutes, and you will not waste time and delay things because of eating.

8. Bananas have skins, which can ensure the freshness and hygiene of the pulp inside. But it does not need to be peeled, easy to peel, no need to spit out the core, and will not let the hands be contaminated by food, suitable for indoor and outdoor occasions to eat.

9. Bananas are widely supplied, do not need refrigeration, are easy to carry, and are convenient to store for two or three days. Especially in some long distance races, runners will use bananas as an important food to replenish energy along the way.

10. Bananas have a pleasant taste and are less allergic in tropical fruits. At the same time, it is also suitable for consumption with other foods such as milk and yogurt, as a milkshake, sweet or cold food with high nutritional value.

However, are we ordinary people who do not exercise much suitable for eating bananas every day? It depends on each person's specific situation and how to eat it, especially for the following groups:

Can people who lose weight eat bananas?

There are two main concerns of dieters eating bananas: One is that people with relatively high calories and little exercise, adding a banana in addition to three meals, the calories are easy to excess. Therefore, people who lose weight must not eat bananas willfully, and must be limited. Second, the protein content is relatively low. If you replace some of the cereal staple foods with bananas, the calories will not increase, but it will reduce the protein intake. For people who don't exercise, this is not conducive to maintaining firm muscles. Therefore, it is possible to replace snacks, snacks, and sweets with a small number of bananas, but it is not cost-effective to replace staple foods.

Can diabetics eat bananas?

The glycemic index of bananas is not very high, and it can be eaten in small quantities. If you eat a lot of bananas in addition to three meals, it is easy to have too many carbohydrates; and it is easy to reduce the protein energy supply ratio by simply replacing staple foods, which may not be conducive to blood sugar stability.

One option is to eat between meals, cutting bananas into small cubes and serving them with sugar-free yogurt. This gives the yogurt a sweet taste without consuming too much sugar.

Another option is to eat bananas in a meal, replacing some of the staple foods so that the carbohydrate content remains the same, but at the same time slightly increases the protein. For example, if a banana meat contains 25 grams of carbohydrates, it can be used instead of half a pair of rice. However, you can add two more bites of protein or dried tofu and other protein foods at the same time to keep the protein supply unchanged.

Can people with a bad stomach eat bananas?

When immature, bananas have higher levels of tannins, which have some irritation and damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa and reduce the activity of digestive enzymes such as protein, lipase and amylase. Some people with weak gastrointestinal function or gastrointestinal diseases will feel stomach discomfort after eating bananas, intestinal discomfort, and even the mucosa of the throat and mouth. This part of the population is not suitable for eating a large number of bananas (including persimmons and other tannin-rich astringent fruits), especially not suitable for eating before meals, at this time the mucosal irritation is more obvious.

If bananas are eaten with other foods containing starch and protein, polyphenols such as tannins will first interact with these components in the food, thereby reducing irritation to the mucosa of the digestive tract.

Is constipation suitable for eating bananas?

Among fruits, bananas are more special. It contains both resistant starch and dietary fiber, which is helpful for people who are constipated due to insufficient dietary fiber. However, for people who are constipated not because of insufficient dietary fiber, but because of insufficient intestinal motor strength, eating a lot of underripe bananas can be counterproductive.

Due to excessive tannins affecting nutrient absorption or causing proteins in the digestive tract to be condensed, it may reduce the ability of the intestine to exercise and aggravate constipation. Of course, for athletes who exercise a lot and eat a lot, these are basically no worries. Because their digestion is good and their intestinal strength is strong.

In short, bananas are neither nutritious gods nor garbage fruits with high calories. Natural food is not perfect, as long as you eat the right person, eat the right amount, eat the right occasion, let it play its own advantages.

Source: Beijing Youth Daily