Sweet potatoes are often found on bodybuilders’ plates and that is for a very good reason. Most people have heard the saying “Eat your vegetables”, but many still continue to avoid them like the plague. A significant proportion of vegetable haters shy away from their greens because they don’t like the taste. Well, that excuse is no longer valid since sweet potatoes are neither green nor taste like your regular veggie. Sweet potatoes are a delicious root vegetable that is chock-full of fat-burning, muscle-building, and immune-boosting benefits. Below are just some of the reasons to start incorporating sweet potatoes into your regular diet.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT SWEET POTATO
You do not have to look far to find nutritionists singing the sweet potato’s praises. Even carb-a-phobes relish the sweet potato as a “smart carb” due to its low glycemic index, or its neutral effect on blood sugar. Most starchy carbs should be eaten sparingly when trying to shed body fat because of their effect on insulin levels. When insulin climbs in response to a starch entering the bloodstream fat-burning shuts down. Sweet potatoes are an exception. You’re not likely to overeat them due to their fiber and water content.
The sweet potato is a source of complex carbohydrates, high fiber, vitamins C and B6, calcium, protein, and iron. It is high in beta-carotene (an immunity-boosting nutrient and precursor to vitamin A), which is fat-soluble. That means in order to get the maximum vitamin absorption from your sweet potato, you’ll need some fat.
With strong antioxidant properties, sweet potatoes maintain the integrity of the body’s cells, protecting them from the oxidation caused DNA damage and defending against cancer.
A 5-inch long sweet potato contains 112 calories, 2 g protein, 26 g carbs, 0 g fat, and 4 g fiber.
BENEFITS OF CONSUMING SWEET POTATOES FOR BODYBUILDING & FITNESS PURPOSES
1. Fill up on fiber
Sweet potatoes come loaded with fiber, especially when served with the skin on, making them a great source of complex carbohydrates. Fibre is essential for helping to control appetite, burn fat, maintain healthy digestion, and build muscle. A 1-cup serving of sweet potatoes contains about 8 grams of fiber.
2. Can help aid in weight loss
The sweet potato can help aid in weight loss. High-fiber foods are great to keep you full and can help increase satiation after eating. Plus, being full on such a nutrient-dense food makes sure that not only are fewer calories consumed, but the calories are rich in nutrients. The blood stabilization effects from the sweet potato helps with insulin response, which can prevent fat storage over time. This is why sweet potatoes are the perfect choice when choosing the best carbohydrate for carb cycling.
3. Supports body hydration
The high water content in sweet potatoes makes them great for hydration, and therefore, weight loss again. Dehydration slows down your metabolism, further causing weight gain and other health problems. Consuming sweet potatoes helps rehydrate your cells and boost metabolic activity in the body. This, in turn, will help prevent your body from accumulating fat, balance the natural pH levels and flush out toxins.
4. Get a massive boost of Vitamin A
One of the key nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes is that they are high in an antioxidant known as beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A once consumed. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that maintains the immune system and keeps skin and tissues healthy. It is known to be an essential vitamin in eye health and bone growth.
5. Repair connective tissue
One medium sweet potato will provide 25% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C. Research has shown Vitamin C is essential for connective tissue repair and may help the body to reverse some of the oxidative damage that occurs from exercise. This is especially important to bodybuilders whose training causes the most connective tissue damage.
6. Fuel your muscles and boost electrolytes
A medium sweet potato can provide 12% of daily potassium needs. Potassium is a salt the body uses to help manage several processes, including sweat, nerve functioning, glycogen and fluid management, and blood pressure. When potassium is deficient in the diet, or when the movement of potassium through the body is blocked, your nervous and muscular systems can become compromised. It is crucial to replenish this lost potassium during exercise to keep up maximum performance.
7. Replenish energy and strengthen tendons
Eating a sweet potato post-workout is ideal as they contain copper, which can help replenish energy levels and protect the cardiovascular, nervous, and skeletal systems. It also strengthens the tendons needed to lift weights. Just one cup of baked sweet potato contains 36% of your daily copper needs.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE SWEET POTATO
The health benefits of sweet potatoes are immense, which is why this root is so widely cultivated, not only for its reliable growth but also for its nutritional power. This root is high in fiber and aids in digestion and colon health. Its low glycemic index can help stabilize blood sugar, which can not only aid in insulin response but can also be helpful to diabetics, whose blood sugar is a concern when eating foods that can spike blood sugar levels.
This food provides plenty of long-term energy because it’s a complex carb that can be digested more slowly over time. The sweet potato’s anti-inflammatory properties come from being rich in vitamin A and carotenoids. These help fight inflammation in the body, which can often lead to autoimmune disorders, even arthritis, and cancer. Additionally, carotenoids are antioxidants that can help fight free radicals in the body that have been known to cause cancer. Although the list of health benefits is very long, we will stick to this.
