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How Blueberries Can Positively Affect Your Workout

No matter if you are a serious athlete, or are just beginning to exercise, chances are you are looking for a way to achieve a better workout. Blueberries are a great fruit that are not only delicious, but can also greatly improve your workout. Blueberries don't need to be refrigerated, meaning that you can store them in your gym bag and eat them on the go!


Water Content

One of the most important ways that blueberries can positively affect your workout is through their ability to provide your body with high amounts of water. Aside from fat and bone, our bodies are composed almost primarily from water. Therefore, it is not surprise that we require high amounts of fluid in our bodies in order to achieve optimal results when exercising.

As with most types of fruits, blueberries contain high amounts of water. This is not only important to help prevent feelings of thirst, but is actually very important in promoting athletic performance. If you do not have enough water in your system, you can experience severe muscle cramps, thereby decreasing your ability to run, jump or throw a ball.

Carbohydrate Content

Another great way that blueberries can positively affect your workout is due to the high amount of carbohydrates contained within blueberries. Carbohydrates are important because they provide you with the energy you need to help you make it through your workout. It is very important to understand that not all carbohydrates are created equally. While simple carbohydrates such as those in white breads, baked goods and sodas will provide you with a quick burst of energy, they will quickly be digested and leave your body.

In contrast, complex carbohydrates, such as those found in blueberries and other fruits and vegetables are slow digesting, meaning that they will stay in your system for a relatively long period of time. This is important especially if you are an endurance athlete. You can eat a meal high in complex carbohydrates, such as blueberries, an hour or two before your workout and event, and be sure that the carbohydrates will still be active in your system. Experienced cardiovascular athletes understand that exercising too quickly after eating could cause serious stomach cramps or even vomiting.

Vitamin and Mineral Content

Blueberries contain numerous vitamins and minerals that are not only important for good health and optimal growth, but are actually very important in improved athletic performance. For example, blueberries have been found to be high in vitamin K, which is important in blood clotting. If you are low in vitamin K, and therefore your blood does not clot properly, not only will you be exposed to high amounts of sub-dermal bruises and wounds, but in the event of a cut or contusion, could be seriously hurt due to the inability of your blood to clot. In theory, you could lose high amounts of blood through a simple elbow scrape due to a vitamin K deficiency.

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