Foods That Build Stamina

Fruits like strawberries can provide you with stamina-building energy.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images

Foods provide calories which serve as energy your body needs to function properly. Food also furnishes your body with nutrients and vitamins which help sustain energy. Eating foods that build stamina can help you reach your workout goals as well as sustain your energy throughout the day.

Peanut Butter

Registered dietitian Nancy Clark says peanut butter is one of those often overlooked stamina-building foods that athletes can utilize for sustained energy levels, according to beginnertriathlete.com. You might overlook peanut butter because of its high fat and calorie content, but peanut butter is an excellent source of protein which is needed for muscle growth and recovery. The stronger your muscles are the less fatigued they will get during workouts. Peanut butter also has vitamins and nutrients that support your immune system. While it's true that peanut butter lacks the carbohydrates needed for muscle energy, the energy gained from fat and protein calories can be just as important. Furthermore, peanut butter is rarely eaten alone -- eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole grain bread can give you the necessary carbohydrates needed to go along with your protein and fat consumption.

Some carbohydrates are superior to other carbohydrates in the type of energy they provide. For instance, eating a glazed doughnut and a glass of orange juice before your workout is a lot less likely to sustain you than having a bowl of oatmeal. The reason for this is that doughnuts and store-bought orange juice contain simple sugars which turn into quick energy in the body. This quick energy is burned fast and doesn't provide long-term stamina. Conversely, foods such as oatmeal have high fiber content and allow for a slow release of carbohydrates into the blood stream. This can provide you with long-term sustainable energy throughout your workout or daily activities.

If you want to increase your workout stamina, enjoy a cup of coffee one hour before your session. John A. Hawley, Ph.D., says the caffeine in coffee has been shown to increase stamina by as much as 20 percent if ingested approximately 60 minutes prior to a workout. Hawley notes that caffeine is almost always completely absorbed and used by the body once ingested. It also affects every organ of the body, increasing mental alertness and energy. Caffeine has a glycogen-sparing effect on the body. Glycogen is glucose that is stored in the muscles for long-term energy. When you workout, the body first burns non-stored glucose before turning to fat and glycogen stores. According to Hawley scientific literature shows that glycogen levels after a workout remain higher following caffeine ingestion, meaning the body spent more time burning fat for energy than it has depleting the muscles of energy source.