Are Peaches Good or Bad For Bodybuilding?

Recently, one of my clients who is a bodybuilder asked me whether they can eat peaches or not.  While I think most fruit can fit within a bodybuilder’s diet (depending on their goal), I wanted to research more about the health benefits of peaches for bodybuilding.

So, are peaches good or bad for bodybuilding? Peaches are a great fruit to add if you are a bodybuilder as they have almost 17g of carbs per serving, which will provide quick energy for your training session. Peaches are full of vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium, which together help boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and avoid muscle cramps.

In this article,  we are going to explore all about peaches and bodybuilding, including:

• The nutritional content of peaches: the calories and macronutrients breakdown
• The micronutrients found in peaches and how they help a bodybuilder
• The pros and the cons of adding peaches if you are a bodybuilder
• How many peaches can you have depending on your phase of training
• If you can add peaches before or after training if you are a bodybuilder

Preaches For Bodybuilding: Overview

Nutrition Content of Peaches

One large peach (175 g) has the following nutritional content.

• Calories: 68
• Carbs: 16.7 g
• Fiber: 2.6 g
• Fats: 0.4 g
• Protein: 1.6 g

Calories

Peaches are relatively high in calories compared to other fruits like strawberries, grapefruit, and watermelon. One large peach has 68 kcal, which is the same as having almost two cups of strawberries or one slice of bread.

For a bodybuilder in a bulking phase, carrying around a peach might help you reach your total daily calories. The other advantage of peaches is that you can make them in juice or find them dehydrated. This allows increasing the caloric content as well.

On the other hand, for a bodybuilder in a cutting phase, you need to be careful about the way and amount of peaches you add. Counting calories is crucial in this phase to make sure you don’t overeat. 

Macronutrients

Peaches, like all the other fruits, are primarily composed of carbohydrates. For a bodybuilder, this is an advantage since at least 50% of their energy, if not more, comes from carbs. Adding several carbs sources, like peaches, makes you reach the total carb intake to have adequate energy during the day.

One large peach has 16.7 g of carbs, which you can add before training to help provide the necessary energy for your training session.  

One benefit that peaches have is that they are high in fiber. Ae large peach has 10% of the recommended daily value of fiber. On average, people don’t consume the total amount of fiber recommended, which is 25 g at least. Normally, people consume 10-15 g per day. Not enough to have a healthy bowel movement and good gut health.

For a bodybuilder in a cutting phase, it is extra important to add foods high in fiber. They provide satiety (which is the feeling of fullness). Since you are decreasing calories, having high fiber foods adds bulk, making you less likely to be hungry during the day.

On the other hand, although a bodybuilder in a bulking phase still needs to consume fiber to have good gut health, you don’t want to add too much fiber. Since fiber takes longer to digest, and will make you feel fuller, it might make you not capable of eating enough calories during the day.

One drawback that peaches have is that they don’t have the other macronutrients that a bodybuilder needs. It doesn’t have any protein or fats. 

• Did you know baby food is considered one of the best “low fiber foods”? Check out my other article: Do Bodybuilders REALLY Eat Baby Food?

Micronutrients

Peaches are not only good to provide energy, but they are also high in several nutrients. They have some niacin, vitamin E, vitamin K, and copper. Its primary nutrients are vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium. Each of those offers more than 10% of the daily recommended value. Here are the reasons why you should pay attention to these nutrients if you are a bodybuilder.

• Vitamin C. It supports immune function, and it helps synthesize collagen, which makes your joints stronger. Having a stronger immune system means less time at home and more time at the gym.

• Vitamin A. It helps in the production of protein, which means that it helps support muscle growth. It is also a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation in the body. Less inflammation, in the end, means better recovery.

• Potassium. It is essential for muscle contraction. When there is not enough potassium in your body, you are more likely to get cramps. It also helps regulate your body’s hydration.

Check out my complete guide on the Best Fruits For Bodybuilding.

3 Pros Of Eating Peaches For Bodybuilding

There are several benefits obtained from peaches. They are easy to get, carry around, and provide the much-needed energy for your training sessions. There are also other benefits of adding peaches if you are a bodybuilder.

1. Prevents Muscle Cramps

Having an adequate level of potassium keeps your muscles working correctly. Potassium is found in high amounts in the muscle. When you work out, you need potassium to break down the energy found in the muscles into usable energy. Once this energy is broken down, the muscle is left depleted of potassium.

This is why after a training session, you might be low in potassium since it is a mineral that you lose through your sweat. This might be a problem for a bodybuilder with double training sessions per day or even those who train for more than 2 hours. Since you need potassium for muscle contraction, having low levels of potassium leads to muscle cramps.

Since peaches are a good source of potassium, having them after training helps replenish the potassium levels. This ultimately leads to preventing a muscle cramp from happening. 

2. Aids in Weight Management

Peaches are naturally high in fiber. For bodybuilders in a cutting phase, this type of fruit helps prevent hunger during the day.

Its high fiber content also helps have more stable sugar levels and decreased insulin levels. High levels of insulin have been linked to an increase in body weight. That is why we what to maintain insulin levels as stable as possible 

3. Improves Hydration

Electrolytes are essential minerals that our body needs. The most common electrolytes are sodium, potassium, and magnesium. They are essential for nerve conductivity (sending signals from the brain to the muscle), which helps with muscle contraction.

They are also essential since they help control the amount of water you have. Having the appropriate electrolyte balance allows the body to deliver water throughout our body. When there is an imbalance, you run the risk of dehydration and heatstroke (only a concern if you are training in hot environments).

Peaches act as a natural sports drink. They have potassium that helps replenish one of the electrolytes lost in sweat during your workout. They are also high in water, which helps replenish fluids after training. Skip the Gatorade, and eat a peach! 

2 Cons of Eating Peaches For Bodybuilding

The biggest con of peaches is that they lack protein, which is an essential macronutrient for a bodybuilder. There are also a couple of other cons that you might want to consider if you are a bodybuilder.

1. High in FODMAPs

FODMAPs are short-chain carbs that the body cannot digest properly, and they go straight to your intestine. There, the bacteria found can ferment them. By fermenting the carbs, they produce gas, which is why people constantly get abdominal pain or bloating.

Peaches are one of the fruits that are high in FODMAPS. If you are a bodybuilder that has IBS, you might want to stay away from peaches.

Feeling bloated can affect your performance or might make you not go to the gym at all. Thus, you might want to consume other fruits or decrease the peaches you eat per day.

2. High in Pesticides

Peaches, like strawberries and blueberries, tend to be high in pesticides. A high pesticide intake has been linked to stomach issues, nausea, diarrhea, and anxiety.

Most of the pesticides are found in the skin. One way to reduce your intake is to peel the skin off. However, it is where most of the nutrients and fiber are located. Thus, I would recommend that if you are going to have peaches, make sure they are organic.

To reduce the pesticides, you can also wash peaches with apple cider vinegar. You dilute 1 cup of apple cider vinegar in 2 cups of water, and you soak them for 10-15 minutes. Then you rinse them. That reduces the pesticides found. 

• Related Article: Are Oranges Good or Bad For Bodybuilding?

Can You Eat Peaches Before Workouts?

Peaches are a great fruit to add pre-workout. They offer up to 17g of carbs, which will help fuel your training session. They also offer potassium, which prevents muscle cramps.  However, peaches are high in fiber and may lead to bloating.  Therefore, have peaches 1-2 hours before a workout, not directly before.

To reduce the fiber content, you can also have them as a smoothie or dehydrated fruit. This would prevent any stomach issues from arising.

Although the recommendation could vary from person to person, there is a general rule of thumb of having 20-50g of carbs for a training session.

For a bodybuilder in a bulking phase, you can have 2-3 peaches before training to achieve this amount of carbs. On the other hand, if you are a bodybuilder in a cutting phase, you could try 1-2 peaches before training.

If you want a steadier energy release, try adding some protein and healthy fats. For example, add some cottage cheese to add more protein and some chia seeds to increase the healthy fat intake. 

Can You Eat Peaches After Workouts?

Peaches are an excellent post-workout snack. When you work out, you will use glycogen for energy, which can be replaced by eating a peach. Peaches are also high in antioxidants, helping to decrease inflammation and increase muscle recovery. Finally, peaches are high in potassium, which helps regulate water in the body.

When you add a carb source after training, like a peach, it prevents protein from being used as an energy source. As such, protein can be used to build muscle. That is why it is essential to always have a carb source after you train.

How many carbs you should have will depend on your phase of training.

Suppose you are a bodybuilder in a bulking phase. In that case, 3-4 peaches have the required carbs to help refuel after your arduous training session. On the other hand, 2-3 peaches might be enough for a bodybuilder in a cutting phase.

Remember that after working out, you also need a protein source, something that peaches lack. Add a protein source like Greek yogurt to ensure you get the most of your post-workout snack. 

Do Peaches Help Muscle Growth?

Peaches help you achieve the necessary carb and calorie intake for muscle growth. Without a calorie surplus, muscle is not able to grow. They also help improve muscle recovery by reducing inflammation within the body. However, you need to add a protein source to have the ultimate muscle-building combo.

Thanks to peaches being a little higher in calories than other fruits, it helps achieve those gains by increasing your caloric intake.

However, remember that peaches are only a carb source and you can’t just expect to eat peaches and gain muscle.  Peaches are only one food that should be part of a diet system that promotes a caloric surplus.  

So while peaches are much better for contributing to a caloric surplus, compared with other fruits, you still need protein and fats in your diet. To increase the muscle-building properties, add a protein source like a protein shake and some healthy fats like nuts. 

Peach Recipe For Bodybuilding

If you are looking for a high-protein sweet snack, you don’t have to search any longer. This delicious high-protein peach crumble is perfect for adding to your bodybuilder diet.

It has all the macros a bodybuilder needs, and it is a perfect snack to have before or after training. If you add it before training, make sure it is 2-3 hours before your workout. 

High Protein Peach Crumble

Macros

• Calories: 550
• Carbs: 76.3 g
• Fats: 18.1 g
• Protein: 24.9 g

Ingredients

• 1 large peach cut into slices
• 1 tablespoon of melted butter
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 packet of Stevia or monk fruit
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt and the protein powder.
3. Place in a freezer and let it sit for at least 4-6 hours or until it has a ice cream consistency.
4. In a baking pan, place the slices of peaches on the bottom.
5. In another bowl, combine the oats, stevia, melted butter, and cinnamon.
6. Place the oatmeal mix on top of the peaches. Stir until everything is mixed.
7. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Take the yogurt mix from the freezer and add it on top of the peach crumble.
10. Enjoy!

Tips

• To increase the healthy fat intake, you can add pecans or walnuts.
• If you want to have it 1 hour before training, don’t add the yogurt mix. 

References

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McDonough AA, Youn JH. Potassium Homeostasis: The Knowns, the Unknowns, and the Health Benefits. Physiology (Bethesda). 2017 Mar;32(2):100-111. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00022.2016. PMID: 28202621; PMCID: PMC5337831.

Qayyum MS, Freemantle CA, Carey CJ, Page BC, Soper N, Paterson DJ, Robbins PA. Potassium loss from skeletal muscle during exercise in man: a radioisotope study. Exp Physiol. 1993 Sep;78(5):639-48. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.1993.sp003712. PMID: 8240795.

Pennings N, Jaber J, Ahiawodzi P. Ten-year weight gain is associated with elevated fasting insulin levels and precedes glucose elevation. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2018 May;34(4):e2986. doi: 10.1002/dmrr.2986. Epub 2018 Mar 15. PMID: 29392827.