If you’re looking to get the most out of running, you may want to start adding super foods to your diet.
Known for the exceptional health benefits, there’s a lot of super foods that are known to be particularly beneficial to runners. Here, we’ll look at just 5 of them and how they can help.
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Blueberries
This super fruit is packed full of antioxidants and essential nutrients. In terms of running, just a cup full of blueberries a day can help to reduce inflammation, fatigue and increase immune health.
If you love to go on long runs, you’ll know just how tired and achy the muscles can get. So, adding blueberries to your diet can help you complete these long runs without suffering too much afterwards.
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White grapefruit
Especially beneficial in the morning, white grapefruit is an excellent source of folate, Vitamin C and potassium. It’s the latter that can help after you’ve been for a run.
It prevents muscle soreness and reduces the risk of cramps too. Though the best way to prevent muscle cramp is to ensure you stretch and warm up properly before your run!
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Lentils
They may not be the most exciting super food out there, but lentils are excellent for runners. Thanks to their high iron content, they reduce runner’s fatigue and help you to run harder for longer.
So, if you’re looking to boost your endurance and improve your running times, lentils are the super food you should be concentrating on.
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Sweet potatoes
One thing you need as a runner, is energy. Therefore, you’re going to need a superfood that’s packed full of healthy carbohydrates.
Sweet potatoes don’t just contain the carbs you need for a good run, but they also come with a high level of beta-carotene. This boots the immune system, protects eye health and also improves your bones.
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Beets
If you’re looking for a strong performance boosting food, beets are exactly what you need. They contain a lot of nitrates, which help the muscles to use up oxygen more efficiently.
As an additional benefit, they also come with strong antioxidants which will help prevent the signs of aging, and they’re an excellent source of fiber.
Overall, there’s tons of super foods out there and all of them will do the body good. However, the 5 above are the ones you’ll want to prioritize if you’re a keen runner.
