Health
Published on May 20, 2014

Boost Endurance Levels with Chia Seeds

written by

Get ready to swap your sport drinks for this banana chia seed pre-workout smoothie! They aren’t called “The Runners Seed” for no reason, but go ahead and find out for yourself how great they are. Have the smoothie about 30 minutes prior to your workout and you’re all set.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Banana (rich in potassium, which can help keep blood pressure in check, protect your muscle and digestive systems, helps with muscle cramps)
  • 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
  • Dash of Cinnamon (helps keep blood sugar levels steady without spiking your insulin levels)
  • Water

Why Chia Seeds for Endurance Workout?

Provide steady energy release: They can expand 10x their size when placed in water and form a gel-like substance. Due to this formation, when paired with carbohydrates (banana) they slow down the absorption of glucose so they provide a controlled release of energy throughout your workout. This slow conversion process creates higher levels of endurance.

Retain electrolytes: They absorb 30x their weight in water which regulates body fluid and retains electrolytes. Believe it or not more so than any sport drinks! Ditch the gatorade, you won’t need it.

Reduce inflammation: Packed with Omega-3 fatty acids which are anti-inflamatory which is very beneficial to ease knee pain from long runs

Two tablespoons is all you need and contains roughly:

  • 117 calories
  • 8 grams of fiber
  • 4 grams of protein
  • 4 grams of fat

super-seed-the-case-for-chia_b2

More reasons why they’re great?

  • More Omega-3 than salmon
  • 3 times more iron than spinach
  • 5 times more calcium than milk
  • 7 times more vitamin C than oranges
  • 15 times more magnesium than broccoli
  • 2 times more antioxidants than blueberries
  • 2 times more potassium than a banana
  • More than twice the fiber of a cup of oatmeal
  • Contains vitamins A, B, E, and D

The list goes on and go, but I’ll stop before I get too carried away.

Have a happy run
xo

References
Collias, N. (n.d.). Super Seed. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/super-seed-the-case-for-chia.html
Monarch, M. (n.d.). Chia – The Miracle Seed. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/chia-seeds-for-protein-and-omega-3
Omega 3 Chia seed loading as a means of … [J Strength Cond Res. 2011] – PubMed – NCBI. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=chia+seeds+endurance