Foods that Increase stamina
You need tons of energy to cope with your hectic lifestyle, especially if you are into sports. Here’s a list of foods that give you enough stamina to keep you active throughout the day.
While certain foods in your diet can actually reduce stamina, healthy foods help to build up your stamina and increase your energy levels, especially if you’re interested in sports and athletics. As a sportsperson, you need foods that are designed to not only give you energy but also keep you feeling full all day long.
1. Bananas
Banana is one food that is loved by most people, irrespective of their age. It also happens to be one of the best foods to increase stamina. This fruit is rich in carbohydrates and also has natural sugar and starch which gives you the energy to keep going throughout the day.
2. Lean meat, fish, chicken
Rich in protein, these foods are important for growth and development, muscle building and repair. Meat takes a longer time to digest and thus keeps you feeling full and active all day long.”
3. Eggs
Eggs are the most versatile, healthy, and easy to cook food on this planet. And we cannot be thankful enough for it. Eggs are not only rich in protein and other nutrients, but they help in muscle repair and build stamina. Packed with essential amino acids, eggs can keep fatigue away!
4. Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale are chock-full of heart healthy antioxidants and iron, both of which are important for a healthy and active body. They are packed with plant nutrients and are also rich sources of fiber, which keeps the digestive system working properly. These foods also increase your Red Blood Cells count and help in proper circulation of blood and oxygen to the body parts. As an added bonus, green leafy vegetables also help you maintain your blood sugar levels.
5. Brown Rice
Brown rice is less processed when compared to white making brown rice very nutritious as it retains more nutritional value in the form of vitamins, fibres, and minerals. One cup of cooked brown rice provides about 88 per cent of the RDI for manganese and contains 3.5 grams of fibre. Brown rice also has a low glycaemic index because of its fibre content. It also helps to regulate blood sugar levels and maintains steady energy levels.
6. Peanut butter
Peanuts are said to contain Omega 3 fatty acids that helps in reducing pain, boost heart health and develop your brain. Peanut butter is also excellent for building stamina. It is high in calories and digests slowly. Consume peanut butter in combination with complex carbs.
7. Coffee
Many people consume coffee when they are looking for an energy boost. Coffee is rich in caffeine. This compound can pass to your brain from the bloodstream and inhibit the activity of adenosine. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that quiets the central nervous system. This increases the production of epinephrine, a hormone that helps to stimulate the brain and body. Even though a cup of coffee has only two calories, its stimulatory effects on the body can make you feel focused and alert.
8. Dark chocolate
When compared to regular or milk chocolate, dark chocolate has a higher cocoa content. The antioxidants present have many health benefits which include an increase in the flow of blood in the body. This will help to deliver oxygen to the muscles and brain and thus improves general function. This can be more helpful when you are exercising. An increase of blood flow will help to decrease mental fatigue and improve your mood in general. Dark chocolates also contain stimulatory compounds such as caffeine and theobromine which are shown to improve mental energy.
9. Beans
Full of minerals and iron, beans help increase RBCs (Red Blood Cells); that is the oxygen-carrier, helping it reach the muscles especially when you need your stamina to peak the most, during strenuous activity such as exercise.
10. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a whole-grain cereal that contains beta-glucan. This is a soluble fibre that, when combined with water, forms a thick gel. In the digestive system, this gel delays the absorption of glucose into the blood and stomach emptying. Oats are high in minerals and vitamin including iron, manganese, vitamins. All of these nutrients make this the perfect food for sustained energy release.
