Bananas apparently work better than water and sports drinks.
There are plenty of reasons to eat bananas—especially homegrown ones. For one, Japan men's national volleyball team ace Ran Takahashi is a big fan of them.
Yep, that's pretty much reason number one.
A whole lot of fans captured him eating a banana while on the bench during the Pasay leg of the Volleyball Nations League last week.
Some fans went wild as he picked off a banana from a bunch Team Japan had on the sidelines.
Asked on Twitter if the outside hitter should stop peeling bananas when caught on camera, and whether it was delicious, Takahashi replied in Japanese, "Filipino bananas are delicious."
Takahashi is not the only one with a love for bananas. Athletes snack on them to recover their energy.
Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic had a hilarious episode regarding bananas during this year's French Open.
During the second round, he had complained about asking his team for bananas, dates, and water but they gave him an apple. When he won the round of 16, journalists gave him a bunch of bananas.
In 2020, French tennis player Elliot Benchetrit asked a ball kid to peel his banana. The umpire told him off.
But why are athletes going bananas over bananas?
Studies have shown that bananas, which are high on fructose or fruit sugar, can be a healthier alternative in providing energy during exercise.
A preliminary experiment in 2012 by the North Carolina Research Campus of Appalachian State University, as reported by the New York Times, showed cyclists performed better when they either had a banana or a sports drink compared to just drinking water.
Some 20 male cyclists apparently had faster performance times, improved energy, and ability to focus, along with a better rate of recovery.
Bananas also have phenolics such as dopamine, which help reduce free oxygen radicals produced during high-intensity exercise, according to a 2016 report by the Appalachian State University.
Bananas also enhanced recovery time by reducing inflammation, added scientists Nick Gillit and David Nieman.
"Ingestion of bananas before and during prolonged and intensive exercise is an effective strategy, both in terms of fuel substrate utilization and cost, for supporting performance," the scientists wrote in the PLoS One online medical journal.
Takahashi—once his hand injury heals—will need more of those bananas as Team Japan will take on Slovenia in the quarterfinals of the VNL 2023 on July 20.
The United States will take on France, Italy will face Argentina, while Poland will square off against Brazil.