A friend and I did a charity bike ride recently, and at the first refreshment break, in a village hall en route, the sponsors had laid on food and drink. There were packets of crisps, cakes, bread rolls, cheese, water set out in large plastic barrels, potato salad, quiches of all varieties, and bananas. We looked at all the food, thought it was a bit early for lunch, and set off again. An hour and a half later, when we arrived back for the second refreshment break, in the same hall, there was plenty of everything left. Except for the bananas. And only one packet of crisps, Prawn Cocktail flavour. I don’t know what that says about Prawn Cocktail flavouring, but there it is.

‘No bananas!’ exclaimed my companion, declaring that he had been looking forward to a banana for the three hours we had already been cycling. I looked at the trestle tables (in the village hall of Barrow, in Suffolk), which were groaning, as trestle tables do, with the weight of replenished plates and bowls of salad, cheese, new potatoes and bread rolls. I started to pile food high on a plate, satisfied with what was in front of me. My friend looked at one of the many helpers who had volunteered their time for the day. ‘No bananas?’ he asked.

‘All gone,’ she shook her head. ‘Gone?’ ‘Gone,’ she confirmed. ‘We had hundreds earlier. You should have taken one.’ ‘But I didn’t want one then,’ he groaned. He peered underneath the tables, as if hoping to find something overlooked. Then he walked around forlornly until, finding nothing, he grabbed a handful of cakes and skulked off to sit in a corner. ‘Not to worry,’ I said as I joined him, cramming some quiche and half a bread roll into my mouth, ‘You’ve always got those Power bars. And jelly beans. And cakes.’ He stuffed one of several mini muffins into his face. ‘I know,’ he said, ‘but I wanted bananas.’ This true story, slightly embellished, illustrates a point – that the banana has a reputation for being a superfood. Tennis players eat them between games, marathon runners survive on them. And so it seems do cyclists. So what is it about the banana that inspires sports men and women to consume them in their thousands at runs and races all over the world? And what other foods are there that have a similar potential to give us the energy we need to stumble, or occasionally roar, over the finishing line?

Here’s a list, in no particular order, of my 5 favourite power foods:

Banana

Conveniently packed in its own wrapper, the banana is one of the world’s most grown and popular fruits. The immediate benefit to the athlete is from its sugar content. It contains three readily digestible forms (glucose, fructose and sucrose), the proportions of which vary depending on its ripeness. It also contains lots of potassium, which helps normalize the heartbeat and regulate the body's water balance. Potassium isn’t stored by the body for long periods of time, so your potassium level can drop during times of stress or during strenuous exercise, where it is lost through sweating.

Bananas also contain iron which, as part of the haemoglobin molecule in the blood, helps the transport of oxygen through the body. And a banana is full of vitamin B6, used by the body during exercise to convert stored carbohydrates into glucose, keeping energy levels high and blood sugar levels normal. As if that wasn’t benefit enough, they contain pectin, a soluble fibre (hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract, and tryptophan, an amino acid that can be converted to serotonin, leading to improved mood. So, in a banana, you have a food that, in addition to the benefits already mentioned, can help maintain healthy bones, regulate kidney function, soothe and prevent heartburn and stomach ulcers, and reduce the risk of strokes. My friend was right to spend so long looking for one (and lamenting their lack).

Water

Although not a food as such, water is next on my list. Without it, your body cannot generate energy. Water makes it possible for your system to digest, absorb and transport nutrients. It also helps regulate body temperature. When you are dehydrated, your cells receive nutrients for energy less efficiently, and your body can’t properly expend heat through sweating. Both conditions lead to fatigue.

Water makes up 50 to 70 per cent of an adult's total body weight, and without regular intake the body's survival time is limited to a matter of days. It is essential for proper growth and maintenance, and helps get rid of waste and regulate temperature, as well as being a neutral medium for chemical reactions occurring in the tissues. It is of course lost from the body through urine and sweat, and must be replaced by food and drink. If you don't drink enough you can become dehydrated, develop headaches, and experience fatigue and loss of concentration.

Yoghurt

Yogurt is convenient, tasty, and especially good before a workout, packed as it is with calcium and protein. It is also magnesium-rich, which research suggests can help to provide an energy boost to the cells. Magnesium activates enzymes that are important for protein and carbohydrate metabolism. It helps release energy int the body by transferring the key phosphate molecule to adenosine triphosphate, the explosive energy source you use for example when lifting weights. The best way to eat yoghurt is to mix natural or low fat plain varieties with fresh fruit (how about a banana - then you get the benefit of two superfoods in one).

Chocolate

Apart from tasting good (unlike some of those energy bars you can buy) chocolate is a supreme energy food, high in carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index (which means it releases sugar into the blood very slowly) and provides the body with instant energy, giving an effective and sustaining pick-me-up. It also contains the tonic substances caffeine, theobromine and theophylline which have a stimulating physical and psychological effect. That’s why it’s so good for athletes and anyone wanting a quick energy hit before or during exercise. But remember that along with the sugar and caffeine it also contains fat and calories, so it’s best to take it in moderation, preferably in the form of dark chocolate, which has the fewest calories and the most antioxidants.

Oats

Like chocolate, the carbohydrates in oats have a very low glycaemic index. and oats are also a significant source of dietary fibre, especially the type known as betaglucan, which helps to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. The fibre in oatmeal helps with weight loss. The oatmeal makes your stomach feel full, and the oatmeal itself normally only has about 150 calories per half cup. Oatmeal has a good number of carbohydrates, and a single bowl can help to boost your energy levels while not loading your body with fat. So start your day with a bowl of porridge and the slow conversion of carbohydrate during the first part of the morning will set you on your energetic way.

That just leaves my research on Prawn Cocktail crisps to complete. I'll do it when I've stopped pedalling...

For a whole year illustustrator David Meldrum painted what he ate and the exhibition of 365 pictures is on in London. That's my kind of project!