A great bodybuilding superfood.
Bodybuilding is more than just heading to the gym day in and day out, following a training routine like an absolute madman. Sure, training properly certainly has a lot to do with your results, but it’s not the only ingredient needed to construct a powerful physique. Something that is far to often overlooked is having a balanced diet, which is absolutely needed to build solid muscle mass. Consuming the proper macronutrients is essential to giving the body the proper tunes to build quality muscle. But sometimes can get too hung up on macros like protein and fats and forget about eating specific foods for the overall positive benefits. So what is a great bodybuilding superfood to consume?
A great superfood that every bodybuilder should invest in is the fruit pomegranate. It may sound very odd, but a pomegranate is truly a bodybuilder superfood. Why should you be consuming pomegranates? Let’s break down what exactly makes pomegranate a bodybuilding superfood.
What Exactly is a Pomegranate?
The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub that tends to grow between 5 and 10 m (16 and 33 ft) tall. The pomegranate has been rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, but that is not what we are here to discuss. We are here to talk about how a pomegranate fruit is a bodybuilding superfood.
Why Pomegranate is a Bodybuilding Superfood
Vitamins, Minerals, and Circulation
One of the biggest benefits of pomegranates are the big nutrient punch it delivers. Pomegranates pack a tremendous amount of vitamin C. But besides the energy boosting vitamin it also contains nitrates (NO3) and nitrites (NO2) which contribute to nitric oxide (NO) balance within tissue particularly in oxygen demanding tissues like muscle. That means more blood flow to the muscle, which can help with a variety of different things, such as your pump in the gym. That being said, maybe throwing a pomegranate or two in your pre-workout food isn’t such a bad idea! Aside from that, let’s take a look at the nutrients that can be found in a pomegranate.
- Calories: 234
- Protein: 4.7 grams (g)
- Fat: 3.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 11.3 g
- Vitamin C: 32% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Folate: 27% of the DV
- Magnesium: 8% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 8% of the DV
- Potassium: 13% of the DV
We wouldn’t recommend these as a bodybuilding superfood if it didn’t have protein! It may not be the largest amount of protein, but it still has it, along with other great nutrients like carbohydrates and healthy fats. Not to mention the inclusion of magnesium, which is great for recovery and certainly contributes the bodybuilding superfood.
Recovery
Piggybacking off of that last point of better blood flow coming from pomegranates, the circulation that helps blood flow essentially can help the body recover from hard training, which is yet another reason that this is a bodybuilding superfood. Blood flow is essential to both growth and recovery and pomegranates offer both. The fruit is also good for the heart as well. A healthy heart means healthy circulation and blood flow.
Increased Strength and Decreased Soreness
Studies by at the University of Texas at Austin have found that pomegranates can help increase strength, particularly in the joints like the elbows which can improve lifting capability, especially on those heavy compound movements like the barbell bench press. Besides increasing strength, athletes who’ve consumed pomegranates have also mentioned feeling less muscle soreness after hard training sessions.
Brain Health
Pomegranates contain antioxidants called ellagitannins, which help reduce inflammation in the body. However, there have been a few studies that found that ellagitannins may possibly help protect the brain against diseases such Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by reducing oxidative damage and increasing the survival of brain cells.
Nonetheless, more research is needed to come to an actual conclusion on this, but right now studies are in its favor.
Digestion
One of the biggest parts of bodybuilding is being able to properly digest your food, and pomegranates are here to save the day. It has been found that eating pomegranate may help support the health of your overall gut microbiome. What does this mean? Well, your gut microbiome plays a key role in many aspects of health, which can be especially important for bodybuilding.
More research has found that pomegranate can help to increase levels of beneficial gut bacteria, suggesting that it may possibly have prebiotic effects. What are prebiotics? Well, prebiotics serve as fuel for the beneficial bacteria in your gut and support a healthier gut microbiome.
Additionally, pomegranate arils are rich in fiber, which is essential for digestive health and may protect against some digestive conditions, making it easier to make the most of your dietary choices.
Bodybuilding Superfood Wrap Up
Overall, we understand that bodybuilding diets can get old and take a lot out of you after time. Now, that being said finding a bodybuilding superfood can be extremely beneficial, and pomegranates may be that superfood. They contain protein, magnesium, carbs, and fats, and a host of other great nutrients that can help you further your bodybuilding progress, making some great gains.
All of that being said, Are pomegranates apart of your diet?
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