What Are The Benefits of Kiwis For Athletes?

Kiwis contain significant amounts of fiber and vitamin C. This benefits an athlete if it's consumed regularly.

It’s clear that the consumption of fruits is essential for an individual who leads a sedentary lifestyle. However, this applies to athletes as well. Kiwis provide multiple benefits, which is why athletes should include them in their daily diets in order to improve their health and performance.

Let’s not forget that one of the keys to a good diet is variety. Thus, it’s convenient to consume different fruits to provide all the necessary phytonutrients that improve recovery. At the same time, this will also prevent premature aging.

Benefits of kiwis

In the following list, we’re going to point out the main benefits of kiwis and the scientific point of view in this matter.

1. Improves digestion

Kiwis stand out for their fiber content. This substance increases the volume of the fecal bolus, which stimulates bowel movements and reduces the risk of constipation. Its effectiveness against this problem is reflected in a study published in Molecules.

Moreover, it can generate fermentation in the intestine that produces short-chain fatty acids with inflammatory characteristics. This reduces the risk of intestinal discomfort, which is something that can worsen an athlete’s performance.

It’s best to combine the intake of kiwis with some other fruit in order to have variety. An apple, for example, also provides a large amount of fiber content.

2. Increases the efficiency of the immune system

According to research published in the Nutrition Hospital magazine, kiwis stand out for their vitamin C content. This nutrient has the ability to stimulate the functioning of the immune system. 

Vitamin C reduces the risk of contracting viral infections, such as the common cold. Even if the virus has already developed, a high intake of this vitamin makes it possible to reduce the duration of the symptoms.

Thanks to this function, it’s possible to improve an athlete’s performance indirectly. Lowering the risk of getting sick translates into a greater number of high-intensity training sessions. This will generate greater muscular and metabolic adaptations.

3. Benefits of kiwis for athletes: lower risk of injury

Another benefit that vitamin C offers has to do with the nutrient’s ability to stimulate collagen synthesis. This is the most abundant protein in the human body, responsible for providing elasticity and functionality to muscle tissue.

Consequently, ensuring that our physiology is developing correctly reduces the risk of structural damage. An example of these damages can be fiber tears or tendinopathies.

To obtain such benefits, it may be necessary to take at least one gram of the vitamin on a daily basis. Athletes can achieve this by optimizing the consumption of products that contain it or by ingesting a supplement of the nutrient.

4. Reduces muscle damage: benefits of kiwis for athletes

Lastly, we should take into account that kiwis have a large number of antioxidants in their composition. These compounds are capable of neutralizing the free radicals present in the tissue once the intense training session is over.

Thanks to the effects of the phytonutrients, markers of muscle damage are reduced. Thus, improving the recovery process. This also reduces the risk of injury in subsequent sessions. 

It’s worth mentioning that it’s important to introduce other phytonutrients other than kiwi in our diets. Red fruits, for example, have anthocyanins. These pigments have the ability to positively affect health by reducing the risk of developing complex pathologies in the long run; many of them are related to inflammation in the body.

Include more kiwi in your diet

Now that you know the benefits of kiwis for athletes, we advise you to add them to your diet regularly. You can consume them as they are or combine them with yogurt to also take advantage of the positive aspects of ingesting protein. It’s even possible to prepare toast with this fruit as the main ingredient if you need a more energetic meal.

In any case, try to avoid crushing it. If you do, the fibers it contains break down and become less functional. It’s always preferable to consume natural fruit, without any processing. Finally, keep in mind that the basis of a good diet is variety, so don’t restrict yourself to only eating kiwi.