London Olympic athletes eat 2.7 million bananas to supplement calories and prevent cramps

The London Olympics has just ended. According to statistics from the British media, more than 10,000 athletes ate a total of 2.7 million bananas in two weeks, which means that each athlete ate an average of more than 10 bananas a day. In fact, it has long been recognized in the sports world that bananas are a very convenient calorie supplement, especially rich in potassium ions, which can balance the electrolytes lost through sweating, and therefore can also prevent cramps that may occur after intense exercise.

It is generally recognized in the sports world that bananas are a very convenient calorie supplement, especially rich in potassium ions, which can balance the electrolytes lost through excessive sweating and prevent cramps. (Photo taken from the Council of Agriculture website)

Li Hengru, assistant professor of the Department of Physical Education at National Taiwan Normal University, said that most outdoor competitive athletes will take advantage of the breaks between games to supplement their intake of bananas, because bananas are high-calorie foods, which make athletes feel full and less tired. Bananas are also dry, so eating them is like drinking a sports drink to replenish electrolytes, which makes cramps less likely, but you won't have to keep wanting to go to the bathroom because of drinking a lot of water.

Xue Anli, a nutritionist at the Shuanghe Hospital, said that a banana contains about 120 calories, which is a small, high-calorie food. For athletes who exercise vigorously and sweat a lot, it can supplement potassium ions to balance electrolytes in the body, and can also supplement B vitamins to relieve fatigue.

For most healthy athletes or people, eating bananas during exercise can bring many benefits. However, if you are a diabetic, nutritionist Xue Anli reminds you that you must limit the total amount of fruit you eat, so eating one banana is equal to the amount of fruit you can eat in a day. As for patients with chronic kidney disease, since they must limit their intake of potassium-containing foods, they should not eat too many bananas.

Assistant Professor Li Hengru pointed out that although the benefits of bananas are widely recognized in the sports community, the myth that "eating bananas is bad for bones" is still prevalent in Taiwan, especially among athletes who have suffered fractures and injuries, who may be afraid to eat bananas for this reason.

In this regard, nutritionist Xue Anli explained that bananas contain the mineral magnesium, which antagonizes calcium. Theoretically, it does affect the absorption of calcium, but in fact the impact is not that strong. Therefore, as long as you supplement more calcium, your bones will not be damaged by consuming magnesium.