Don’t throw away money on expensive sports drinks — bananas deliver the same energy boost, and a much bigger nutrition bang, for a lot less money! Those are just some of the conclusions of a brand new study, performed in partnership with the Dole Nutrition Research Laboratory, by Dr. David Nieman, Professor of Health and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University.
As a leader in nutrition — as well as the world’s largest grower of fruit and vegetables — Dole sponsored the study to further explore why bananas are relied upon by athletes of all calibers. Currently, the sports drink industry has grown to $4 billion. Typically, these beverages contain processed sugar, artificial ingredients — even salt and caffeine. So how does the all-natural banana perform against the sports drink in a head to head match up? To find out, Dr. Nieman fed 14 trained cyclists one or the other during 75 km race trials. A post-ride blood analysis found that bananas provided the same “fuel” while offering a superior nutrition profile, which in turn helps athletes with recovery!
Now, not all of us exercise for medals or even that
biker’s high — quite a few of our readers hop on the bike to burn calories! In that regard, bananas also beat sports drinks. While one medium banana contains roughly 100 calories, a 20-ounce bottle of sports drink can contain nearly double the calories and upwards of 40 grams of sugar! “Bananas contain resistant starch, whose by-products block conversion of some carbohydrates into fuel, forcing your body to rely on fat stores as well,” adds Dr. Nick Gillitt of Dole’s Nutrition Research Laboratory.
source: DOLE nutrition nutrition news, June online newsletter
