Happy National Banana Day!
A few years ago a Canadian grocery store called No Frills penned a love note to one of the world’s favourite fruits, the Banana. They cleverly nicknamed Bananas as “the Portable Fruit”, and though Jimmy Fallon may think otherwise, we can think of no other fruit we would rather share with you on a Wednesday morning!
Ever wonder why Bananas are so ubiquitous at racing events? A 2012 study published in PLOS compared the effects of refueling with Bananas vs a 6% Carbohydrate drink (Gatorade), for cyclists completing a 75km time trial. It showed that the athletes’ performance times and body physiology did not differ significantly, but that the banana’s serotonin and dopamine improved the athletes’ antioxidant capacity and helped with oxidative stress, improving performance overall. The main disadvantage to bananas in this study was that the participants reported feeling more full, and bloated, because of the high levels of dietary fibre. So we definitely recommend testing this fueling strategy in moderation first!
You are likely somewhat aware of the high potassium content in Bananas (especially if you’ve listened to the No Frills song posted above), but did you also know that Bananas are a great source of magnesium and B6, which are important for rest and recovery. More fun facts about bananas can be found HERE.
Thanks for sharing a hand of bananas with me today (yes, that’s right, a bunch of bananas is actually called a hand, and a single banana from the hand is called a finger, go figure!). And thanks a bunch to Chalaine for leading us in a fun full body workout today!
Have a great week YOWzers!
Sole-fully,
Becca & Rebecca
Announcements:
- Next week is PR DAY! Meet at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill. (if you’re running late, meet up with us by the locks/Bytown Museum
- Get your daily dose of potassium today, enjoy a banana on National Banana Day
- Read a blog from another city
- Pet a furry friend
