If you exercise regularly, it’s important to know that what you eat can have an effect on your exercise performance and results. Eating a wide variety of foods—especially fruits and vegetables—will positively affect your endurance and stamina when exercising and during your everyday activities.

One of the major benefits of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is found in the number of micronutrients they provide. The micronutrient content of fruits and vegetables plays an important role in maintaining health and optimizing exercise performance, energy production and tissue recovery during cardiovascular and strength-training exercises. Certain nutrients can’t be produced by the body, so it’s essential to consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to deliver these nutrients, which in turn support your regular physical activity.

If you’re not taking in enough fruits and vegetables, muscle damage, decreased muscle strength, impaired immune function and symptoms of fatigue have been shown to develop—all of which can be detrimental to your training, recovery and overall fitness.

Physical activity and eating a balanced diet go hand-in-hand for a healthy lifestyle. Research has shown regular physical activity helps you lose weight and keep it off. Not only does regular physical activity burn calories, it also regulates your appetite, boosts your metabolism and reduces stress. Eating multiple servings of fruits and vegetables each day will help improve your performance and help you feel and look better.