Watermelon is one of the most delicious fruits that are consumed in summer. But besides its excellent flavor, watermelon has many medicinal properties, especially if consumed before exercise, to stay strong, hydrated, and prevent muscle cramps.
According to a study by a team of scientists from the School of Agricultural Engineering of Cartagena, Spain, consuming natural watermelon helps prevent muscle soreness and stiffness from exercises. For this reason, it is recommended to eat watermelon in natural juices or just raw because the drinks made from extracts of watermelon possess chemical additives that do not allow this to act to 100% of capacity.
Watermelon: a food you should eat before exercise
Watermelon is a plant native to Africa that today is grown in almost every country globally, so it is straightforward to get. This is a very low-calorie fruit (30 calories per 100 grams) composed of 6% of sugars and 91% of water.
Besides being very beneficial to health, watermelon is one of the foods consumed prior to exercise. Then we’ll show why it is that.
Why should you eat watermelon before exercise?
- Watermelon contains a lot of citrullines (in fact, its scientific name is “Citrullus lanatus”), a non-protein amino acid that is responsible for relieving muscle pain and reduces inflammation of tissues.
- It contains vitamins A and C that give us the energy to perform physical activity.
- It is a rich source of antioxidants, which can increase muscle protein, preparing them better for physical exercise.
- It has natural anti-inflammatory properties that prevent swelling caused by muscle overload.
- Due to being composed of 91% of water, watermelon helps prevent dehydration while performing physical activity.
- Protects against muscular degeneration
How eating watermelon before exercising
You can consume watermelon in different ways, and you can choose how you want to consume it. However, we would like to teach you to prepare a delicious shake so you can consume watermelon gladly before physical activity.
Ingredients
- 3 kilos of watermelon
- 3 strawberries
- 2 cups of skim milk
- 1 liter of water
- 4 tablespoons of powdered sweetener
Preparation
- Remove the skin and seeds of the watermelon, and then cut it into cubes
- Wash the strawberries and cut them into cubes
- Put both fruits in a blender and blend until they are united
- Then add the milk, water, and sweetener
- Mix well, and it is ready
This shake is really delicious and very beneficial to health.
In addition, to grant these benefits, watermelon helps speed up your metabolism, promotes healing of wounds, reduces blood pressure levels, reduces blood cholesterol levels, strengthens the immune system, and keeps the skin in good condition. So what are you waiting for incorporating watermelon into your daily diet?
If you suffer from muscle cramps or pain after physical activity, do not hesitate to incorporate watermelon to your daily diet.
