The "healthy chocolate" for runners

At the competition, you grab a banana at the aid station to counteract your loss of carbohydrates. Correct? During a long training run you often have a banana with you or you supply your body with energy just before the start thanks to a banana. Correct? There is no other type of fruit that a runner comes into contact with more often during their sporting activities than with the curved, yellow tropical fruit. And indeed: the banana is the ideal companion in sporting life due to its nutritional value. The large amount of carbohydrates provides energy, potassium fights high blood pressure and prevents tiredness, magnesium has a preventive effect against muscle cramps, the high proportion of antioxidants has a protective effect against various diseases.

RunAustria head coach Johannes Langer makes it clear:

In order to be the best we can be and to achieve the sporting successes we want, we need to eat right. Bananas are considered the superfood par excellence: the potassium value is good for the heart, and the high vitamin B6 content strengthens the nerves. A pre-run 'ripe' banana is the right size and has a good mix of short and medium chain carbohydrates. Nevertheless, every runner has to test how well the tolerance in the stomach corresponds to doing sports.

These advantages alone justify the use of the banana when running. According to a new study from the US state of North Carolina, the banana also supports active people in their regeneration. And more effectively than sports drinks do. The nutrients in bananas actively reduce inflammation in the muscles resulting from the stress of physical activity, thereby accelerating regeneration. The banana develops an effect similar to that of a light painkiller.

Bananas, which have a high fructose content for a fruit, contain not only vitamin B and vitamin C but also serotine, known as the “feel good hormone”. This means that the soft fruit has earned the nickname “healthy chocolate”. Have fun with healthy snacking!

Conscious and sustainable nutrition
Bananas rightly suffer from a bad image because, as fruit harvested unripe, they have to travel long distances across the globe before they end up in our fruit bowl. As part of the running festival in the city of Mozart, only organic fair trade bananas are offered, which are offered at the aid stations on the route and at the finish. In the efforts to focus entirely on organic and sustainable nutrition at the Salzburg running weekend, the organizer has been a loyal partner for many years BioAustria Salzburg supports. Quality seals of this partnership are nine official organic certifications in a row for the Salzburg Marathon.