Best Fruits For Workout are natural foods that are considered to be royal foods. There is nothing better than having a fruit as an energy booster during your intense workout routine. They are healthy and natural, as they are freed from synthetic ingredients and artificial colors. Below is the list of top 10 fruits which can be very helpful in your workout routine.
Best Fruits to Help Build Muscle
Fruits are natural bodybuilding foods—that’s what’s trending.
Fruits are the best bodybuilding foods, or you can say “Superfoods” in our daily diet. And it’s time to jump on the bandwagon for a fruitful year ahead! They are delicious, healthy, and help build muscle. Yes, that’s right. In bodybuilding circles, people dismiss fruits due to their sugar content, but with careful choices, one can boost those gains.
Fruits are rich in potassium, carbs, vitamin-C, and antioxidants, all of which help in building muscles. Best of all? Fruits aren’t going to wipe your wallet clean. These cheap natural supplements ensure a healthy dose of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins without all those unspoken side effects of artificial supplements.
To maximize results in daily life, you must pay attention to your diet. This article explains which fruits you can include in your daily bodybuilding diet for better results.
Let’s get the lowdown on 5 best fruits for muscle building!
1. Kiwi
Did you know the Kiwi bird is a direct descendant of the Tyrannosaurus Rex? It’s crazy, but before we go off track, we’re here to discuss the fruit. The fruit is known to be one of the best fat-burning natural sources out there. Kiwis contain more vitamin C than any other fruit.
Vitamin C is the most potent antioxidant which helps remove fat from your body. The vitamin is required for proper oxidation of fatty acids, which makes them far easier to work off. So it’s time to shed that flab and look fab!
2. Banana
Bananas are super dense in carbs and help restock muscle glycogen levels and put a halt to muscle breakdown. Not enough? They’re also a fabulous source of potassium, an electrolyte necessary for proper muscular contraction. We suggest starting the day with a banana right before your workout. A banana milkshake is also a good breakfast idea. Yes, it’s time to go bananas!
3. Watermelon
This juicy fruit specializes in the production of nitric oxide (NO). Bodybuilders rave about NO since it improves blood flow to muscles, allowing for greater delivery of recovery nutrients and anabolic compounds. Watermelon is good for bodybuilding and is also a good hydrating fruit. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to feel like a melon buck!
4. Blueberries
Blueberries are power-packed super-fruits that you can include in your muscle-building foods. They contain a huge number of antioxidants, which help in gaining muscle mass. Why are antioxidants important? They protect against ‘free-radical’ attacks, which we are vulnerable to after weight training.
The key to building muscle and strength is recovery – the faster we can recover, the faster we can grow muscle. So opt for our blueberry-packed Choose Life bundle and get poppin’!
5. Avoca-Do Hit The Gym
Avocados are the best fruits for muscle gain as they are loaded with potassium and are nutritionally dense with vitamins and minerals. Even better, they are extremely high on dietary fiber, which has been known to help whittle down fat. An avocado a day promises to keep the flab at bay!
ENERGY BOOSTING FRUIT TO EAT BEFORE & AFTER A WORKOUT
As any fitness enthusiast knows, diet is an important part of a workout regimen, with the food you eat both before and after exercise having a huge impact on your performance. A good understanding of nutrition and what your body needs can not only enhance your workout, but also aid the recovery process and minimise muscle damage too.
Fruit is an excellent choice of workout food because it offers specific nutrients that are vital for exercise by helping to boost energy levels. Here, we will look at the nutrients that are so important for a workout, and what fruits to eat both before and after exercise.
THE ROLES OF NUTRIENTS IN EXERCISE
Eating before exercise is a way to provide fuel for your body, but like a car, you have to pick the right type of fuel to get the best performance possible. There are three key nutrients that are needed in order to effectively fuel your body during a workout: fat, carbohydrates and protein.
With the right combination and amounts of these nutrients, you can maximise your performance during exercise by staving off hunger and fighting fatigue. Eating the right food post-workout will also help to aid recovery as well. Here are the roles each nutrient plays during and after exercise:
FAT
Although too much fat is of course a bad thing for your body, this particular nutrient is ideal fuel for longer forms of exercise. Fat is the most energy-dense of all nutrients, which is why your body stores excess fat for later use.
Moderate to low-intensity workouts that last for longer periods will utilise the energy from fat, which is why it is so important to include, in moderation, as part of your diet.
The unsaturated fats in nuts and nut products (e.g. almond butter) are a great source of this nutrient for workouts, as the ‘good’ fats found in nuts are heart-healthy and help to lower cholesterol levels while also providing the energy you need for exercise.
CARBOHYDRATES
Glucose is essential fuel for workouts, as it powers your brain, and provides the main source of muscle energy for shorter, more intense workouts. This natural sugar comes from carbohydrates, which are particularly prevalent in fruit.
By eating carbohydrates as part of your pre-workout meal, you can help your body to store glucose, which will increase your energy and keep you alert during your workout.
As your body can only store a limited amount of glucose, carbohydrates provide short-term energy boosts, which fade as your body’s glucose supplies become depleted. This is why carbohydrates are so important for short, intense exercise, while longer workouts require the energy from fat.
PROTEIN
Protein is the final nutrient that is important for exercise, particularly during pre-workout food, as it can help to increase muscle performance and growth. As with fat and carbs, this nutrient should also be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet, in order to gain the benefits associated with protein.
This nutrient, which is common in meat and fish, as well as nuts, also helps to improve muscle recovery, making it an important aspect of any workout meal.
FRUIT BEFORE WORKOUT
Eating fruit before a workout, either as part of a meal, or a pre-exercise snack, can help provide the nutrients and energy you need to increase performance. When you eat is also important, as a large meal too close to working out can cause sluggishness and discomfort during exercise.
Ideally, you should aim to eat a balanced meal containing all the above nutrients 2-3 hours before you exercise. While it’s not always possible to do this, particularly if you’re trying to squeeze a quick gym visit in before work, eating this far in advance of a workout will offer you the best performance possible.
Examples of a pre-workout meal include: a two-egg omelet with wholegrain toast, avocado and a serving of mixed berries; or chicken with brown rice, roasted vegetables and an apple.
If your workout starts in around 2 hours, then it’s best to avoid fats and focus on carbohydrates and protein to ensure you get the energy you need. Try a smaller meal rich in fruits and nuts, such as porridge with banana and almonds; or a mixed berries and banana smoothie with protein powder and milk.
It’s still important to eat something, even if you have hardly any time to spare before exercise. Greek yoghurt with any type of fruit is a good choice as is trail mix containing dried fruit and nuts.
A banana is also an ideal pre-gym snack, as it is rich in carbohydrates and potassium, which helps to support muscle and nerve function. Apples, oranges, pears (and just about any other fruit) are also great choices for a quick bite before exercise.
These various options will help give you the energy you need, with eating fruit before a workout a highly effective way to increase your performance.
FRUIT AFTER WORKOUT
While it is important to fuel up your body before a workout, to continue the car analogy, your body also needs proper maintenance afterwards to recover and continue to operate at a high standard.
Exercising uses a lot of energy, and drains your body’s stores of glucose. As a result, it is difficult for your body to recover these spent energy levels if they are not replenished within 15 to 30 minutes after completing a workout.
A good way to recover energy after exercise is to eat a carbohydrate-rich snack, which replenishes your body’s energy supplies. Eating fruit after a workout can help to reduce post-exercise fatigue, and aids muscle recovery to prepare you for future workouts.
Fruit is an important part of any workout regime, providing vital nutrients that provide energy, improve your performance, and help to promote recovery.
20 Best Fruits For Muscle Gain (Ultimate Guide)
Certain fruits will be better than others for gaining muscle because they’re higher calorie, making it easier to hit your caloric surplus when bulking.
Additionally, there are some fruits that have anti-inflammatory properties, which help you recover from your workouts faster.
So, which fruits are the best for muscle gain? The top fruits for muscle gain are bananas, dates, and raisins. These options are the highest in calories, which help you achieve the calorie surplus you need to grow. They are also high in potassium and antioxidants, which help decrease inflammation and reduce muscle cramps while working out.
With that said, these are only a few of the best fruits for bodybuilding. So in this article, I’ll discuss the top 20 fruits you should incorporate into your diet if you’re looking to gain muscle.
I’ll also discuss:
- Why are fruits good for muscle building?
- The most common micronutrients found in fruits and how they help a bodybuilder.
- Benefits and cons of adding a specific fruit into your diet.
- Which fruits are better for the cutting and bulking phase.
- What fruit to have before or after training.
Why Are Fruits Good For Building Muscle?
The most important thing for muscle building (besides having the right muscle stimulus) is the number of calories. For you to gain muscle, you need to consume more calories than your body needs (calorie surplus).
Some fruits are very calorically dense, so you don’t have to eat much in order to get a lot of calories. This is helpful when bulking because you don’t want to feel ‘physically full’ every time you eat.
Furthermore, fruit is not considered empty calories, like candy, where you wouldn’t get any nutrients for the calories that you consume. For example, eat 500 calories from candy (empty calories), and it won’t have the same effect as having 500 calories from fruit.
This is because fruit is high in antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants help decrease inflammation. Inflammation happens naturally in the body, but we need to reduce it to prevent muscle soreness. Adding fruit helps decrease inflammation, which in the end helps muscle recovery.
Finally, one of the benefits of fruit for muscle gain is its versatility. Not only is fruit easy to obtain and carry around, you can find all different types, which you can eat whole or blend in a smoothie or protein shake.
For example, if you are looking for something more energy-dense, you can choose a fruit juice or a dehydrated fruit.
Micronutrients In Fruits That Help With Bulking
One of the most significant benefits of fruits is it is very high in certain micronutrients. Here you can find a list of the most common micronutrients found in them and why you should include them if you are a bodybuilder.
- Vitamin A. This important vitamin helps support protein synthesis. For a bodybuilder, this is key to have optimal muscle growth and recovery. Furthermore, it is a potent antioxidant that helps decrease inflammation in the body.
- Vitamin E. It is another powerful antioxidant that the body needs to decrease inflammation and recover properly.
- Vitamin C. This is the most common vitamin found in fruits. It is an essential nutrient to add since it helps boost immunity, and with a stronger immune function, you are less likely to get sick. Also, it plays a vital role in the formation of collagen, an essential protein found in joints. A higher collagen synthesis means stronger joints which leads to a reduction in injuries.
- Vitamin K. It seems that this nutrient helps improve cardiovascular function (better heart conditions which leads to better aerobic capacity). Additionally, higher levels of vitamin K appear to have more muscle strength, and larger muscle mass.
- Vitamin B6. This vitamin helps absorb the amino acids we eat. This is essential for muscle building since there is no material to build muscle if we don’t have enough amino acids. Also, this vitamin is necessary for converting the food you eat into usable energy.
- Folate. It is essential for the production of red blood cells, and additionally, it increases blood flow (more blood towards muscles). Having healthy red blood cells and more blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients to the muscle.
- Potassium. This mineral is essential for muscle contraction. It also regulates heartbeat and controls water balance (having the optimal water amount in the body). Without an adequate potassium level, you run the risk of having muscle cramps.
- Magnesium. Along with potassium, it helps prevent muscle cramps. One of the other essential benefits is that it helps regulate sleep. Muscle gets its recovery during sleep, and that is why having a good night’s sleep is vital for a bodybuilder.
- Manganese. It helps you create the necessary energy for you to train. It converts the food you eat into a usable energy source in the body. Also, it is a powerful antioxidant that helps decrease inflammation in the body.
- Copper. It plays a role in boosting immunity. This nutrient is often lost during training, which is essential to replenish with your food.
- Zinc. Another essential nutrient to boost your immunity. It is also part of a powerful antioxidant, and finally, it seems to help repair muscles.
Are you eating the right foods for your bodybuilding goals?
Top 20 Best Fruits For Bodybuilding
Here are the top 20 fruits for bulking and their nutritional information based on 100g:
| Search | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | Calories | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) | Protein (g) | Fats (g) |
| Apple | 52 | 13.8 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Grapes | 69 | 18.1 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Banana | 89 | 22.8 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| Grapefruit | 42 | 10.7 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Dates | 277 | 75.0 | 6.7 | 1.8 | 0.2 |
| Raisins | 301 | 80.0 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 0.2 |
| Dragon fruit | 60 | 12.9 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| Mango | 60 | 15 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Watermelon | 30 | 7.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Strawberry | 32 | 7.7 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Orange | 52 | 11.8 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Blueberry | 57 | 14.5 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Peach | 39 | 9.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Pineapple | 50 | 13.1 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Cherry | 63 | 16.0 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
| Cantaloupe | 34 | 8.2 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| Pear | 57 | 15.2 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Raspberry | 52 | 11.9 | 6.5 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Blackberry | 43 | 9.6 | 5.3 | 1.4 | 0.5 |
| Plum | 46 | 11.4 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
The top 20 best fruits for muscle gain are:
1. Apples
Quercetin is a potent antioxidant found in apples, and it helps reduce inflammation in the body. Also, it seems to help improve endurance and improve muscle recovery.
- When to eat: pre and post-workout
- Best phase to include: cutting or bulking
- Con: high in pesticides
2. Grapes
Grapes have a powerful antioxidant called resveratrol. Some studies have found that it can help improve testosterone levels (male hormone). For a bodybuilder, more testosterone levels mean improved body composition.
- When to eat: pre and post-workout
- Best phase to include: cutting or bulking
- Con: might produce bloating
3. Bananas
They are the top choice of a snack to give you an energy boost, and they are also high in potassium which helps reduce muscle cramps. In a study, it was found that athletes had better performance while competing.
- When to eat: pre and post-workout
- Best phase to include: cutting or bulking
- Con: triggers migraines
4. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is very low in calories and high in fiber. This makes it the perfect fruit to add when you are in weight loss. A study found that people who were given grapefruit lost an average of 1.6 g in 12 weeks with improved insulin sensitivity.
- When to eat: post-workout
- Best phase to include: cutting
- Con: can produce acid reflux
5. Dates
Dates are very energy-dense. This makes it the perfect fruit to add if you are in a bulking phase. Also, it is high in potassium. Low levels of potassium increase the risk of muscle cramps, muscle weakness, and general fatigue. Additionally, it seems to decrease the odds of having a lower muscle mass.
- When to eat: pre or post-workout
- Best phase to include: bulking
- Con: might produce weight gain (energy-dense)
6. Raisins
Like dates, raisins are a very energy-dense food. This means that it is ideal for those in a bulking phase to help add on the calories for muscle development. Since raisins are dehydrated grapes, they have a concentrated amount of antioxidants. This helps reduce inflammation which leads to improved muscle recovery.
- When to eat: pre or post-workout
- Best phase to include: bulking
- Con: might produce weight gain (energy-dense)
7. Dragon fruit
This low calories fruit helps reduce calories which makes it ideal for a cutting phase. Moreover, this fruit seems to improve the gut microbiome (which leads to better overall health), and it appears to improve heart conditions.
- When to eat: post-workout
- Best phase to include: cutting
- Con: can produce acid reflux
8. Mango
Mango is a fruit that is very high in vitamin C, and this helps boost immunity and collagen synthesis. Additionally, mango leaves, along with quercetin, help decrease muscle damage and improve recovery.
- When to eat: pre or post-workout
- Best phase to include: cutting or bulking
- Con: can produce acid reflux
9. Watermelon
Watermelon is an excellent choice if your focus is hydration. Since watermelon is 90% water and it has potassium, it is an excellent choice to improve your hydration before or after training. Also, it has an amino acid called citrulline that increases nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps dilate your blood vessels which means that more blood flow goes to the muscle to carry oxygen and nutrients.
- When to eat: pre or post-workout
- Best phase to include: cutting or bulking
- Con: high in FODMAPs (not ideal for IBS)
10. Strawberries
The biggest benefit of strawberries is their low-calorie composition. They are a low-carb option with lots of fiber. This means that it provides a lot of satiety (the feeling of fullness). Moreover, it is high in antioxidants that help decrease inflammation in the body.
- When to eat: pre or post-workout
- Best phase to include: cutting
- Con: high in pesticides