Athletes should substitute sports drink with this healthier option!

Nothing like a perfect workout for all those athletes out there! A grilling gym session is what keeps your adrenaline pumping, the feeling that you love the most. 

As a hard-core athlete, what constitutes as a perfect workout for you? A good run, some cardio and a lot of weight lifting and your favourite sports drink afterwards. All these things are supposed to be good for your body, right? Well, think again! You may be trusting too much on something that's just not worth it. Want to find out what? Read on to know more.

It's of common knowledge to all Gymmers out there that our muscles lose a lot of protein during exercise and they need a lot of carbohydrates to recover after an intense workout. Our body also loses fluids and minerals during all that sweating. 

Therefore, a good after-workout diet is equally important. Most of us will just reach out for the heavily marketed sport drink, which promises to supply the body with just everything it needs after a workout. But the fact is, all the good in that sports drink is heavily masked with sugar, loads and loads of it. 

With all the fad about natural foods that are without any chemicals and preservatives, more and more people in the society are reading the ingredients list and the nutritional value of every packaged food than ever before. 

This has lead to an increased awareness of the use of excess sugar in these foods. The humble sports drink has been a target of health-conscious people for quite some time now. When the news about it being completely laden with sugar and chemical preservatives came out, the gymmers started looking for a healthy alternative. 

Typically, a good sports drink should be able to provide the body with nutrients that it has lost during the intense workout session. Along with it, it should fuel the body with energy and also fasten the recovery process of the muscles. Though most of the health drinks do most of their job, they also fill the body with unnecessary sugar, which is of no nutritional value. 

A lot of research was carried out recently to find a healthy alternative to these sports drinks and do you know what the studies concluded as the best substitute for sports drinks to be? The Humble but Mighty - Banana. 

Bananas are touted to be a super fruit for many reasons. But let's read about its benefits as a substitute for energy drinks to be had after a workout. 

Here are a few reasons why bananas can give any sports drink a run for its money: 

*Reduces muscle cramps: Bananas contain a high amount of potassium, which helps curb muscle cramps and leads to its faster recovery, especially after an intensive workout.

*Helps manage inflammation: The anti-inflammatory properties of bananas help combat inflammation, something that is on a high after a workout.

*Provides instant energy: This is the main reason why bananas are superior to sports drinks. Bananas provide a source of healthy energy from its natural sugar content. Eating just one banana after a workout will give you an instant energy bout, which is usually much needed to the athletes after an intensive workout.

*Helps in eliminating the toxins from the body: Bananas help the body in eliminating the toxic substances from the body, much better compared to the toxic substances present INSIDE the sports drinks in the form of chemicals and preservatives.

*Supplies the body with antioxidants: The naturally occurring antioxidants present in the body help fight against free radical damage. These free radicals are especially on a high after a workout. A banana will curb their activity and protects us from various chronic diseases.

*Regulates the body temperature: Bananas help regulate an ideal body temperature. The body tends to get heated after an extensive gum session. Bananas help the body cool down and reach its optimum temperature, which is necessary to carry out its functions normally.

Indeed bananas surpass sports drinks in all the aspects. So, the next time you are out gymming, make sure to stack your gym bag with a couple of bananas instead to reaching out to that regular bottle of sports drink. Well, it's time to go bananas over bananas!