5 amazingly effective foods for adventure athletes

Athletes are often adventurous when it comes to experimenting with weird or wild foods to fuel their bodies and sports. In fact, some are rather fanatical about whipping up power-packed concoctions pre- and post-workout. But let’s face it, shakes and bars get boring.


Here are a few surprising natural fruits, veggies and ancient grains that could shake you out of a fitness-food funk while helping with muscle damage, cramps, endurance and more.

Tart cherries: Recovery aid

 

Montmorency tart cherries are bright red for a reason. The stunning color comes from the fruit’s concentration of anthocyanins, a type of phytonutrient thought to help reduce muscle damage and strength loss, essentially acting as a recovery aid after intense exercise.
“Weekend warriors and exercise enthusiasts, like myself, are looking for more natural food sources to aid recovery,” nutritionist and acclaimed running and triathlon coach Matt Fitzgerald, who has incorporated Montmorency tart cherry juice into his routine, told GrindTV.
“I add Montmorency tart cherry juice, frozen tart cherries and Greek yogurt to my pre-workout smoothie and drink the second serving as soon as I get home.
“Studies have shown that cyclists and marathon runners who drink two 8-ounce servings of tart cherry juice daily had accelerated recovery, reduction of exercise-induced inflammation and maintained muscle function,” Fitzgerald says.
How to eat it: Tart cherries come in dried, frozen and liquid forms year-round. You can make your own gummies, add cherry juice to a blended drink or throw some dried pieces in trail mix.

Pickel juice: Muscle de-cramper

  

The thought of downing a cup of pickle juice isn’t exactly appetizing. But if you’ve ever suffered a killer leg cramp and need a quick fix, you might think twice about this pungent liquid which has proven highly effective for the immediate relief of muscle cramping.
Seizing muscles were once tied to a lack of replenishing electrolytes during exercise, but researchers now believe it’s not just pickle juice’s electrolyte concentration that eases cramps, but rather the veggie’s acid properties which triggers a reflex when hitting the back of the throat. This signals the nervous system to shut down overactive neurons that actually cause cramps. Yeah, weird, but apparently it works when you’re in a pickle.

How to eat it: The Pickle Juice Company sells pickle brine as a translucent liquid in 8- and 16-ounce bottles or as an extra-strength shot, with a formula boasting 10 times more electrolytes than the average sports drink.

Cacao: Metabolism mobilizer 





Hard-to-pronounce cacao, the main ingredient in dark chocolate, is actually incredibly easy to love. This ancient bean is one of the most nutritionally complex foods on earth, but the high magnesium content in this raw food may be the most interesting component for athletes.
Magnesium plays a big part in improving blood flow and metabolizing of adenosine triphoshate (ATP), which is critical in both aerobic and anaerobic functions that active folks know well.

How to eat it: Buy organic raw cacao powder, which is made by cold-pressing the whole bean to preserve its key vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Brew it as a wintertime alternative to sugar-laden chocolate milk; add it to a banana-based smoothie; or throw in some cacao “nips” to healthy baked goods.

Chia seeds: Endurance extender  

 

Ancient Aztecs, Incans and Mayans used the small but mighty chia seed as a serious source of energy when fighting and moving for long periods of time.

Raw chia seeds pack twice the protein than most grains, five times more calcium than milk and contain high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, soluble fiber, potassium and antioxidants. Modern endurance athletes are using the powerful chia as a natural endurance booster for adventures that require sustained energy.

How to eat it: The neutral taste of chia seeds means they’re easy to add to homemade energy bars and juices, or to mix in liquid to make a pseudo pudding. Buy the seeds in bulk from your local health food store and sprinkle them as a supplement on cereal, yogurt or anything you like.

Pomegranate: Free radicall fighter

   

Once you figure out how to crack this seed-hoarding sweet-tart fruit, you might find the extraction process is worth the effort.
One of the world’s oldest-known fruits, pomegranates are absolute powerhouses for the active set. They’re especially wealthy in antioxidants, which helps neutralize free radicals, something that athletes are especially prone to since increased aerobic metabolism produces a greater amount of these cell-damaging molecules.
Pomegranates are also loaded with immune-boosting vitamin C, which is especially helpful for you over-exercisers, and potassium, a mineral that helps sustain energy and keeps blood pressure in check.
How to eat it: Pomegranate juice is an easy way to ingest this complex fruit, but you won’t get vitamin C benefits since pasteurizing kills this vitamin. To prevent staining, extract the juice-encased seeds from the fruit by quartering the pomegranate in the sink in a bowl of water. Carefully peel back the pulp and use the lively seeds in kale salads, on a yogurt parfait or as an added kick to cereal.

Source: grindtv.com - 5 amazingly effective foods for athletes