Sports
May 4th 2021 ・ 4 min reading
Chiquita bananas are the perfect pre- or post-cycling snack – if you want to know what to eat before a bike ride, look no further than our happy yellow fruit with the best taste and great quality! What could be tastier, or more convenient, than a delicious banana? Plus, of course, they come in their very own tough, environmentally friendly little carry case, which makes them one of the handiest snacks a cyclist can choose. Below, we’ll look at some of the different ways that bananas are great for cyclists.
Fiber
Bananas are not just easy to digest – for a cyclist looking to decide what to eat before a bike ride, they have a perfect combination of benefits. Cycling is a fantastic aerobic sport and uses up plenty of energy. Bananas, particularly when they’re not too ripe, contain a generous helping of fiber in the form of resistant starch – and this helps them to release energy slowly and steadily when they’re eaten. Chiquita bananas are perfect for an endurance sport like cycling, where light but energy-dense pre-workout meals are what you really need to get (and stay) moving.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are nature’s very own little packages of energy, and in a healthy diet they are the main source of this important macronutrient. As all keen athletes know, if you’re eating before a workout of any sort, an energy-dense food that’s a good source of carbohydrate is ideal. Luckily, our bodies are amazingly good at using bananas for fuel, and they fit this profile perfectly! Teamed with all their fiber, bananas provide the perfect ongoing energy boost.
So, if you’re looking at what to eat for energy before a bike ride, it’s a great idea to grab a yummy banana.
Vitamins and minerals
If you’re a fan of cycling, you’re likely to also be interested in maintaining your overall health as part of an active lifestyle. So, you’ll be happy to hear that bananas are a good source of potassium (100g of banana contains 17.9% of the recommended daily amount (RDA)). From the point of view of cycling benefits, potassium helps the nervous system to function normally, aids normal muscle function, and helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. All of which are very helpful when you’re going for a bike ride.
Bananas also contain a generous helping of vitamin B6 – 18.5% of RDA, in fact. This handy vitamin helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue and supports the immune system, among all sorts of other benefits. So, what do you eat before a bike ride? A banana, of course!
What do bananas not contain?
A strange question, we know, but an important one for cyclists! Bananas have virtually no fat, no cholesterol, and no salt, so they can help provide a great foundation for the healthy lifestyle that cycling promotes. Time and again, when we ask that important question, what should you eat before or after a bike ride, Chiquita bananas come out on top.
After your ride: Recovery
When you’ve finished your bike ride, what should you eat? Naturally, a banana is a great way to replenish the energy you’ve expended having fun. Blending a banana up with oat or almond milk and a bit of honey, for a really delicious, healthy smoothie, is a great way to relax and cool down. Some people even swear by bananas as a way to ease post-ride muscle cramps and soreness. So, for food before, during and after your bike ride, a Chiquita banana is your best friend!
Sleep
As well as being a great snack to eat before or after a bike ride, bananas are also said to help you get a decent night’s sleep. The excellent levels of Vitamin B6 that the average banana contains can help you fall asleep easier – bananas also contain a smidge of magnesium, which lets your muscles relax. At Chiquita, we always dream about bananas, which makes us very happy!
Lean muscle
Every keen cyclist wants to build lean muscle to perform at their best, and at roughly 105 calories for an average banana, and no fat, the humble yellow fruit is a healthy way to avoid hunger pangs during a bike ride. The potassium in a banana can also help to reduce fluid retention, if you’re prone to bloating. Putting all these benefits together, if you want a good snack to eat for extra energy, as part of your healthy lifestyle, it’s a great idea to choose a banana.
We work hard to make sure Chiquita bananas are the best for taste and quality, so you can be sure that when you grab one to eat before your bike ride, you’re getting the perfect partner for your exercise. Get some today and include them in your routine – you won’t regret it!
