Why do so many professional strength athletes eat tomatoes?

Question

If you view the "what do I eat in a day" videos on youtube of strength athletes like strongmen (e.g. Eddie Hall) and powerlifters (e.g. Stefi Cohen) then it seems like almost all of them eat tomatoes, and usually for breakfast.

I realize I'm working off a sample size of n < 10 here and the answer may just be that these people all like tomatoes but generally speaking they're on pretty regimented dietary intake to support their training and it seems unlikely they chose tomatoes simply for taste.

What is the relationship (if any) between the nutritional profile of tomatoes and the needs of a strength athlete like a strongman or powerlifter? I'm not overly fond of tomatoes but not so much so that I wouldn't eat them regularly if there were a real benefit for strength training to doing so.

Answer 1

The lycopene in tomato juice provides antioxidant protection during exercise, repairs damaged muscles, and also reduces risk of heart disease.

Tomato juice can be better than energy drinks at helping the body recover from exercise, a new research has found (https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/Tomato-juice-best-post-workout-drink-Study/article20577925.ece/amp/) Tomatoes provide vital chemicals to help muscles recover and blood levels return to normal after being stretched and strained, experts say.

So to sum it up, it's a great recovery aid, especially for people who put a lot of strain on their muscles. That being said, it's not common for the average bodybuilder to be shoveling tomatoes in their mouth.