Benefits of Pineapples for Body Builders & Their Diets

Body builders are notorious for taking good ideas to extremes, and removing fruit from your diet in order to reduce sugar is a classic example of that. Fruit does contain sugar, but it also contains many other beneficial nutrients. Removing fruit from your diet may create deficits in some nutrients and cause more problems than it solves. It's best to eat a variety of fruits because each one has a unique nutritional profile. Pineapple itself is an excellent fruit selection for body builders. It's easy to digest contains fiber and has a high water content. More important, pineapple is low in carbohydrates and calories one cup, either fresh or canned in water, provides about 80 calories and only 20 grams of carbohydrates making it an excellent food to satisfy carbohydrate cravings on a low-carb diet.

Pineapple is rich in bromelain, a group of enzymes notable for their digestive and anti-inflammatory properties. Bromelain has become popular in sports medicine because it helps prevent swelling in inflamed joints and promotes healing and pain reduction in sore muscles, both of which are beneficial for bodybuilders. Bodybuilders consume more protein than the average person, and bromelain also helps aid digestion and, ultimately, the delivery of protein to growing muscles. Pineapple is a great source of potassium. One serving of fresh pineapple has almost 100% of the daily recommended dose. Canned pineapple and juices contain more than 200%. Potassium is hailed as one of our most valuable electrolytes, and optimal levels are critical for athletic performance, muscle contraction and peak energy.

Heavy-duty exercisers are especially prone to potassium deficiency, so it is important for bodybuilders to pay attention to intense feelings of fatigue, which can be a sign of low potassium levels. Use of diuretics can also lead to potassium depletion. Severe potassium deficiency can put a strain on the heart, something bodybuilders should avoid at all costs.

Adding potassium to your diet by eating pineapple should result in improved energy and endurance at the gym. One serving of pineapple also provides roughly five percent of the recommended daily dosage of magnesium, another key mineral. Magnesium is an important adjunct to potassium; they aid each other in being mutually absorbed into the bloodstream. Magnesium also helps prevent muscle weakness and twitching. People who are deficient in magnesium may have poor digestion (the extreme case is irritable bowel syndrome) or a rapid heartbeat - either of which will keep you from training at your peak. Pineapple is also a source of manganese. According to The USP Guide to Vitamins and Minerals, published by the U.S. Pharmacopeia, "Manganese helps your body metabolize fat, carbohydrates and proteins. It does so as part of several enzymes."

The mineral also plays a role in healing joints and bones, and in keeping the immune system functioning properly. Our bodies need very little manganese, but the trace levels found in pineapple can be helpful in getting the recommended daily dose of two to five milligrams, Fruit provides bulk and fiber, so it is a better alternative than juice - juice is highly caloric, with most of the calories coming from sugar. As with all foods, variety is best. Make sure you include a wide array of fruits and vegetables in your meal plans.