Love watermelon? Of course, what’s not to love. When it’s the right amount of sweet and ripe and you get that nice soft crunch, oh it’s just so perfect. Plus you get an appropriate excuse to spit. And bonus - watermelon is a super fruit when it comes to pre- and post- workout foods. Not to mention you can heave the thing around with a friend and save yourself the cost of a leather medicine ball.
Watermelons are literally like 90% water, which means
consumption can help stave off cramps and dehydration.
Turns out that there is this stuff in watermelon juice called citrulline. Doesn’t sound like anything, but apparently it’s quite useful for improving athletic performance and easing post-workout fatigue and soreness by expediting the removal of lactic acid from your muscles. Additionally, citrulline, an amino acid, causes the production of nitric oxide gas, which in turn widens your blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and keeping your arteries functioning at their peak... blah, blah, blah... who cares, it's just good stuff.
Munching on watermelon’s sublimely sweet flesh after your workout also helps you restore glycogen in your muscle tissue. This is a way of saying that eating watermelon after exercise helps you recover faster and replenish your muscles with ready-to-go energy. Oh and watermelon has that other good thing you need for recovery… umm… oh yeah, duh! WATER! Watermelons are literally like 90% water, which means consumption can help stave off cramps and dehydration.
Watermelons are satisfying to thump, but that's not the best way to test for ripeness. Our friends at Dr Sager’s SkinCare suggest if two melons are of similar size, but one is noticeably heavier, the heavier melon is the one to get. Also look for a pale yellow spot on the side, which indicates a sun ripened melon. Dr Sager’s also tell us we should resist storing watermelon in the refrigerator. They quote the USDA, saying that the cancer-reducing antioxidant, lycopene, is much stronger when the fruit is stored and served closer to room temperature. In fact, the lycopene can deteriorate as much as 40% in the fridge.
So hoist up a couple melons at the grocery next time. So much nutritional goodness inside those sweet, giant berries!
