Chip-fuelled exercise? Study reveals potato-based diet as effective as sports nutrition products

21 Apr 2020 --- Regular, carbohydrate-rich potato-based foods are just as effective as standard sports nutrition products – which are often more expensive – in promoting recovery in female athletes. This is according to a new study from the University of Montana (UM) in the US, which received funding from Alliance for Potato Research & Education. The researchers hope that the findings will help male and female athletes make better-informed decisions, regarding their sports supplements, and foods and beverages.

“Sports nutrition companies are likely most interested in promoting their own unique products. However, the use of processed food bars, powders and gel oriented products is not sustainable for most athletes that prefer diverse diets.  These current data demonstrate that virtually any foods high enough in carbohydrates can help optimize muscle glycogen recovery,” lead investigator and veteran endurance athlete Dr. Brent Ruby from The University of Montana, US, tells NutritionInsight. 

Commenting on the study, Marianne McDonagh, Vice President Sales at Bioenergy Life Science (BLS), also tells NutritionInsight that it was not so long ago that female athletes were overlooked by most. “But this has changed. BLS has always believed in female athletes, and has shown this by sponsoring elite and Olympic female athletes, helping them to achieve their goals and to be their very best.”

The UM researchers found that as long as an adequate amount of carbohydrate is provided at multiple intervals during recovery, the source of macronutrients for men and women may be diverse and need not be limited to exclusively commercial sport nutrition products. Variation in recovery food sources may enhance carbohydrate compliance, contributing to sustainable recovery dietary design, they note. 

“The beauty of this study is that it suggests, ‘simplicity’ in feeding strategies. We used commercial products that were derived from potatoes.  However, plain potatoes or any product originating from potatoes would work just fine.  Deep fried sources should be used in reservation as they also contribute to increased overall fat intake, which will slow digestion and eventual delivery to the recovering skeletal muscle,” says Dr. Ruby.  

Dr. Ruby has done extensive work in the field of athletic performance. His team also showed a McDonald’s Happy Meal is just as effective for exercise recovery as commercial nutrition products garnered national attention.

Industry reacts
Dr. Ruby hopes that “nutrition companies can leverage this message by providing products that could be used as compliments to whole food options rather than exclusively stand alone products.”

Tapping into this trend, Bioenergy Life Science's flagship ingredient, Bioenergy Ribose, is a 5-carbon carbohydrate that simulates the body's natural energy production and can be used as  a versatile, all-natural ingredient in functional foods and beverages, dietary supplements and  cosmetics, not just as a stand-alone product.

“Bioenergy Ribose provides a quickly usable form of energy, which along with oxygen, is the most basic component of recovery. Most supplements are oriented to solve a specific issue or need. Bioenergy Ribose is not like most supplements. Energy in the broadest sense is ‘the gap’ [needed to be filled in sports nutrition] and thus Bioenergy Ribose can be used to satisfy that component of recovery. This must be prioritized to ascertain the greatest benefit from exercise,” Dr. Michael Crabtree, Director of Scientific Affairs and Technology at BLS, shares with NutritionInsight.

The sports nutrition sector is rapidly growing and many products claim to boost recovery performance and even boost brain health. Innova Market Insights reports strong growth in sports-related positionings within mainstream food and beverage NPD. A key ingredient in this space is protein, which has seen an average of 14 percent average annual growth between 2015 and 2019. The market researcher also reports a 23 percent average annual growth of food and beverage launches with a “sports and recovery” claim (Global, 2014-2018). Meanwhile, “energy/alertness” claims follow closely behind with 12 percent growth over the same period.

Aiding better-informed choices
The UM study was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology and employed a trial similar to the previous McDonald’s research. This time however, the team looked at muscle recovery between recreational male and female athletes using potato products and sports supplements.

Eight men and eight women participated in the study, which involved 90 minutes of intense cycling followed by rest, recovery and refueling and a 20 km time trial. Some consumed sports supplement products, while others received potato-based products including gnocchi, fries and hash browns. The results showed that muscles in both men and women replenish carbohydrate stores similarly, and just as well with regular foods as with sports supplements, the researchers note.

Dr. Ruby says that he hopes these new results will help female athletes, as well as male, make better-informed choices about their refueling programs. 

“Endurance athletes love to talk about how hard they train and how special their diet is,” Dr. Ruby states. “But it doesn't need to be complicated. As long as you are getting adequate carbohydrates, your diet can be as diverse as you want it to be.”

The sports nutrition category is increasingly going mainstream, spurring rapid personalization. NutritionInsight previously reported on the sports nutrition market and how the COVID-19 spread is impacting it.

By Kristiana Lalou, with additional reporting from Anni Schleicher