3 Power Foods to Help with Sprint Training and HIIT

Have you ever noticed how the physiques of world class sprinters and athletes involved in similar disciplines are looking for muscular, ripped, and defined than ever?

Their bodies resemble those of Greek Gods, which is surely a testament to the sporting disciplines that they are involved in.

If you’re looking to tone up, trim down, and increase your lean muscle mass, HIIT is one of the most effective forms of physical exercise currently in existence.

HIIT is not only beneficial for transforming your physique, it is also ideal for people looking to improve their health and fitness in general.

But what exactly is HIIT and sprint training, why are they now so hugely popular, what benefits do they offer over conventional cardio and resistance-based exercise, and is there anything special you need to know?

All of these questions will be addressed in this useful post to HIIT, so if you’re ready to start transforming your body, here is the post.

As you are probably aware, as far as health and fitness goes, diet and nutrition play a vital role in determining just how fit and healthy, as individuals, we really are. If you eat junk, you look unhealthy, you feel unhealthy, and you become unhealthy. If you fuel your body with fresh, nutrient-rich, healthy produce however, every aspect of your health and fitness will improve. Consuming the right foods doesn’t just help boost wellness, it can also help improve athletic performance. If you are actively involved in HIIT-based workouts and/or sprint training, there are certain foods you can eat that will help improve your athletic performance no end. Here are just a few power foods to help with sprint training and HIIT.

Salmon – Salmon is considered a superfood, and rightfully so. Salmon is an oily fish, rich in nutrients including omega 3 fatty acids, as well as amino acids and minerals. As salmon is rich in protein, it promotes muscle growth and repair. When you perform high intensity exercises such as sprints, you utilize fast-twitch muscle fibres in your body, especially in the legs. The more muscle you can build, the more of these fibres you can utilize, and the faster you will become. Salmon is also famous for its anti-inflammatory properties, so it can help reduce inflammation after a tough workout. This means your joints become healthier, and you experience less muscle soreness during and after training. As salmon is also rich in healthy fats, the fats it contains are quickly metabolized, providing a quick boost of energy that is perfect for explosive movements such as sprints.

Bananas – It’s very rare that you will find a sprinter, or athlete of any kind, that does not regularly consume bananas. These power foods are perfect for sprint training and HIIT as well as being great for the body in general. Bananas are a high-carb fruit that provide sustained releases of energy once consumed. This means that they make the perfect pre-workout snack. They are also packed full of healthy minerals, including zinc, magnesium and potassium. Potassium is very beneficial for HIIT workouts because this mineral help to prevent cramps by buffering lactic acid build ups. The minerals found in bananas also help to replace electrolytes lost in sweat when you train.

Peanut butter – If you want to ultimate energy-boosting power food that is perfect for consumption before a HIIT workout, peanut butter is perfect. Now, we aren’t talking about typical grocery store peanut butter which is often laced with additional oils, extra salt, sugar, sweeteners, flavourings, preservatives, and other nasties that do the body no use at all. No, we’re talking real, all-natural peanut butter made from 100% peanuts, with nothing added, and nothing taken away. Peanut butter is rich in protein, so it will help prevent muscle loss and damage. It will also help to preserve muscle, and as you know from when we spoke about salmon, muscle is important when it comes to intense training. It is also high in healthy fats and calories, so it will provide you with plenty of energy to get through your workout. The vitamins and antioxidants it contains will also help to prevent or reduce inflammation.