Have you heard of muscle building fruits?

Should bodybuilders eat fruit or not?

Athletes who do not include fruit in their diet think that eating fruit only increases the sugar content in their body, which will certainly not be beneficial for their fitness. But on this pretext alone, a red line cannot be drawn around fruits at all. Fructose is a sugar found in fruits that cannot be used directly by muscles. Only the liver converts fructose to glycogen and stores it in the form of carbohydrates. When glycogen levels in the liver are high, fructose is converted to fat, which raises fat levels in the body.

But keep in mind that fruits are rich in nutrients and can neutralize free radical damage to cells and muscles through antioxidant sources. Therefore, it is necessary for athletes and bodybuilders to consume a few units of fruit every day. If you are worried about sugar and fat, you can choose times when the sugar in the fruit is not only not harmful but even useful in exercise.

The best time to eat fruit

Here’s what to choose as an athlete to eat fruit:

Morning is the best time to eat fruit

Before you get acquainted with muscle-building fruits, you should know that the best time to eat fruit is immediately after waking up. During sleep, the human liver burns its glycogen to provide the glucose needed by the brain during sleep. As liver glycogen levels begin to decline, a signal is sent to the brain to begin breaking down muscle protein to convert amino acids to glucose for the brain. In fact, when you wake up in the morning, you are like a muscle burner. Do not worry about converting fructose to fat at this time, so eat fruit easily. Fructose in this case can even be helpful in preventing muscle wasting.

The best fruits that can be eaten in the morning

Eat 1 or 2 of the following fruits in the morning:

• Pineapple (sliced, one serving)
• Melon (1 slice)
• Tangerine (1 medium)
• Banana (a medium number)

Eat muscle-building fruits before exercise

Another best time for athletes to eat fruit is 30 to 60 minutes before exercise; Especially if they do not eat carbohydrates for several hours. In this case, it will help maintain glycogen in muscle cells. As a result, muscle fatigue, which results in decreased glycogen levels in the muscles, is less likely to occur.

Choose the best fruits for pre-workout

We recommend choosing one of the following fruits:

• Pears (1 medium)
• Watermelon (1 slice)
• Apples (1 medium)
• Cantaloupe (half)
• Grapes (one measure)
• Strawberries (2 scoops)
• Raspberries (2 cups)

Eat fruit after exercise

There is nothing wrong with eating fruit after exercise to increase glycogen levels in the muscles and liver again. Just remember that if you eat two servings of fruit, your body will only provide about 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrates. For those who want to maximize muscle gain, they should consume at least 40 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. For this purpose, you should use other sources of carbohydrates such as potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal and bread. Or make sure you have at least 20 grams of carbs in your protein supplement.

The best fruits for after exercise

If you are looking for muscle building fruits that also prevent muscle wasting, choose the following fruits:

• Cherries (1 cup)
• Peaches (1 medium)
• Apples (1 medium)
• Cantaloupe (half)
• Grapes (1 cup)
• Strawberries (2 scoops)
• Raspberries (2 cups)

Introducing the best muscle building fruits

You can use the following fruits to help increase muscle mass or improve athletic performance:

Kiwi and its effect on fat burning

Kiwi can be introduced as one of the best fat burning fruits. Kiwi is one of the fruits that has the highest amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C is the most powerful antioxidant that helps remove body fat. This vitamin is needed for proper oxidation of fatty acids and makes their function much easier.

Bananas are effective in preventing muscle wasting

Bananas are rich in carbohydrates and help restore muscle glycogen levels. With the help of this fruit, muscle breakdown can be prevented and an effective step can be taken to increase muscle mass. Bananas are also an excellent source of potassium, which is an essential electrolyte for muscle contractions. We suggest that you eat a banana before you start your workout.

Watermelon in bodybuilding

This juicy fruit to produce Nitric oxide It is one of the best. Nitric oxide (NO) improves blood flow to the muscles and allows nutrients to be delivered more efficiently to the body’s tissues. Watermelon is good for bodybuilders and also has a significant role in hydrating the body.

Blueberries for muscle growth

As one of the muscle building fruits, you can use blueberries, which of course are not found in abundance in Iran. Blueberries help build muscle and have amazing antioxidant properties. Why are antioxidant stores important in athletes? Because antioxidants protect muscles and cells against free radicals, which are very destructive. Antioxidant sources must be used to build muscle and accelerate recovery.

Avocado and increase muscle mass

Many experts recommend avocado as the best fruit to increase muscle mass. Because this fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals. Avocados are also high in fiber and help reduce body fat. Therefore, avocado can be used for both muscle building and fat burning.

Table of nutritional value of muscle building fruits

The following table shows the nutritional value of the fruits that we introduced to you in the previous section:

Why are fruits good for building muscle?

In order for your body to build muscle, you need to get more calories than you consume. Some fruits are high in calories and make you not have to consume large amounts of foods for energy. Recommended for muscle building for the following reasons:

• Fruits have a high antioxidant capacity and help reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation occurs naturally in the body, but we must reduce it to prevent muscle soreness. Reducing inflammation also helps improve recovery.
• Fruits help compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals in the body and increase energy performance and the body’s ability to function by providing energy.
• Fruits are readily available and can be used in smoothies and protein shakes.
• Many fruits contain potassium and magnesium to prevent muscle pain and spasm and improve athletic performance.
• Carbohydrates in fruits are effective in increasing energy.

The final word

We introduced you to muscle building fruits. These fruits are not high in protein, but due to their antioxidant and nutrient-rich role, they can help improve muscle growth, prevent muscle wasting, and speed recovery. Never eliminate these tasty and healthy foods from your diet because of the sugar in the fruits. The best time to eat fruit is in the morning after waking up and before and after exercise.