By: MuscleSports.net
Eating raisins before and during intense workouts may decrease levels of oxidative DNA stress.
Eating raisins before and during intense workouts may decrease levels of oxidative DNA stress, which is linked to a person’s ability to fight heart disease and certain types of cancer, as well as athletic performance, reports the California Raisin Marketing Board. Researchers at the Health Research and Studies Center and Sphera Foundation in Los Altos, California, found that athletes who ate approximately 1 cup of raisins before and during an athletic event were better protected from oxidative damage than those who consumed a glucose drink of equivalent caloric value.
What does this mean to the average gym rat? When you exercise, free radicals accumulate in your muscles because of an increased oxygen requirement. The harder you train, the more free radicals you produce. If these free radicals aren’t countered, performance will suffer and you’ll experience increased muscle soreness and aching afterward. You can combat this by consuming sufficient Antioxidants.
Enter raisins, which have a high oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), meaning their Antioxidants penetrate your muscles and get rid of many of the free radicals. This equates to a more productive workout and subdued soreness in the days that follow.
Besides improving performance in the gym, raisins are also a good source of fiber and potassium (2 grams and 310 mg, respectively, per quarter-cup). But don’t get carried away a quarter-cup carries a hefty 130 calories. Snack on, but go easy.
Tags: Athlete Nutrition General Health Whole Foods
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