Maximize Your Workout With These 7 Power Foods

Your body is your temple. Therefore, it is extremely important to take care of it properly and do everything in your power to keep it healthy.

In achieving this goal, the tandem of working out and adopting the right diet can do wonders. If you’ve got the workout part covered, then let us introduce you to these 7 power foods that can efficiently maximize your workout and help you get the most out of it in record time.

Dairy

Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt are a great source of protein and calcium that all people need for development.

Milk, for example, can be successfully used as a pre-workout food choice since it is hydrating but not excessively filling.  It also provides the carbs and protein your muscles require to repair and replenish their energy stores, thus making it an efficient post-workout food.

Various studies also suggest that dairy may also be beneficial for people exercising to lose weight.

Pistachios

Small but effective. This would be the accurate description of pistachios. They are high in protein and fiber, which makes them great promoters of energy and satiety with excellent pre-workout qualities.

Studies show that people consuming pistachios have more chances of losing belly fat and improve their cholesterol level and blood glucose.

Their antioxidant content gives them a strong anti-inflammatory power and the potassium found in pistachios helps with muscle recovery after a hard training.

Whole eggs

Whole eggs are eggs-actly what you need to maximize your workout. They are packed with an army of beneficial nutrients such as vitamins A, E and K, folic acid and minerals like calcium or iron.  Top that with the high-quality protein, 6 grams to be more precise, and you get an extremely efficient food in stimulating muscle anabolism and fat burn.

In addition, they include all eight essential amino acids required for muscle recovery after workout. They are extremely versatile and can be cooked I various ways to satisfy even the pickiest of people.

Watermelon

There’s nothing better than an affordable, pre and post workout superfood to boost your athletic performance and facilitate recovery. And watermelon successfully fits this profile.

Being 90% water, this fruit keeps you hydrated and boosts your stamina to burn the unwanted calories fast and effective.

Researchers also found that watermelon juice, which is rich in I-citrulline, is also great in relieving post-workout muscle soreness and helping you get back to training faster. That’s due to its role in the nitric oxide synthesis and transport of glucose in the skeletal muscle.

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are not only good in keeping ghosts away on Halloween but also quite efficient in warding off post-workout soreness and fatigue. According to studies, pumpkins are loaded with vitamins and nutrients that boost metabolism and curb the production of lactic acid, the main culprit for muscle soreness.

Pumpkins can be consumed before training, to increase stamina and strength by loading on glycogen as well as after training, to restore electrolytes such as potassium, after strenuous workouts. One cup contains 564 mg of potassium, 100% mg more than in a banana. Impressive, right?

Green tea

Technically tea is not really a food, but its benefits make it worthy of inclusion on this list of foods that maximize your workout. Firstly, that’s due to its caffeine content that has a metabolism boosting effect and helps you workout for longer, thus burning more fat.

Secondly, green tea includes catechins, a type of flavonoid and antioxidant, which is reportedly even more powerful than caffeine, in terms of speeding up the metabolism and consequently losing weight. Belly fat especially. So, start drinking the green brew to get maximum effects!

Basil

If your latest training session has left you in no way able to hit the gym anytime soon, then basil is what you need to get out of this predicament. Consuming basil can help you reduce post-workout inflammation due to eugenol, an enzyme that fights off lipid mediators which generate inflammation in the body.

Basil also helps muscles and blood vessels to relax, improving blood flow and cardiovascular health. This is quite important since poor blood flow can affect the energy levels and cause muscle fatigue.  Luckily, you can reap the benefits of basil and add it to your diet in various forms and ways!