Best Food For Athletes:
Citrus Fruits
By Drew Mulvey MS, CDN, CNS, CLT, PNL1, CISN
These lovely gems are part of the winter seasonal produce that comes to grace up with their bountiful nutrition. Did you know that these fruits can have a significant impact on one’s athletic performance? Here is why!
Vitamin C
When we think of citrus fruits, this is typically the first thing we all jump to is “It’s a great source of vitamin C.” Why is that important, especially during the winter months? Vitamin C is important for proper immune function due to it’s antioxidant nature. It is also responsible for healthy adrenal function and joint health which can help the athlete recover better from exercise and decrease the load from the stress induced during training.
Citrus fruits are not the only one’s high in this vitamin. Check out my other posts on greens, peaches, and red fruits more foods to add to your nutrition plan for athletic performance and immune support.
Potassium and Magnesium
Citrus fruits contain electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, which are essential for muscle function, nerve transmission, and maintaining fluid balance in the body. Commonly when an athlete is exercising a stressor placed on the body can manipulate the levels of electrolytes, or substances that carry an electric charge in the body. Magnesium is one of them! Not only is this responsible for preventing muscle cramping but is incredibly important for calming down the central nervous system. The latter may have a positive effect on maintaining healthy cortisol levels, the hormone commonly elevated during times of stress.
Carbohydrates
Fruits are a great natural source of sugars which can fuel your training. Along with the wide array of other nutrients in the fruit, these can be a great way to give your body the boost it needs during hard training while delivering other raw materials such as vitamins and minerals. Improper use of carbohydrates can lead to early fatiguing, impair recovery and overtraining syndrome which can lead to adrenal burn out if not proplerly addressed. Try bringing a cut up orange on a ride or orange juice, making a homemade carbohydrate/electrolyte drink for practice or incorporating these in with a post training meal!
L-Citrulline
Citrus fruits, in general, are not particularly high in L-citrulline compared to some other fruits like watermelon. Citrulline is an amino acid that plays a role in the production of nitric oxide, which can improve blood flow. Yet, this can still add some benefit to your training, especially during certain times in your cycle.
In fact, when in the last week of your Luteal Phase (the week leading up to a menses), sex hormones estrogen and progesterone start to drop. Each is responsible for decreasing plasma blood volume, which can help with dilation of the blood vessels and better delivery of nutrients. In fact, preloading with sodium in the 2-3 weeks of the cycle may be of some benefit. (More research is needed for this one.) Therefore, when these are low, plasma volume is decreased which can impact the exchange of oxygen to your lungs and muscles. Adding source of citrulline such as watermelon rind or there citrus fruits to your water in training or before training may help with that pre-menses fatiguing.
Antioxidants
As mentioned before, citrus fruits are high in the the antioxidant Vitamin C, but had plenty of other compounds ready to find off any dangerous compounds! Citrus fruits are particularly high in phenolic compounds know as flavanoids. These compounds are beneficial for combating oxidative stress which can lead to neurological decline and act as a potent anti inflammatory, which will be important during recovery.
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References:
Laurentius, A. , Wikanendra, GB., Han Cong, T., Arozal, W. L-citrulline as Alternative Pharmacological Substance in Protecting Against Cardiovascular Disease. Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (PSR), 5(2), 2018, 72 – 80. Artivle retrieved from https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1123&context=psr
Berk, Z. (2016). Nutritional and health-promoting aspects of citrus consumption. Citrus Fruit Processing, 261–279. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-803133-9.00013-8
