Sunday, April 8, 2018

Banana Potentially Replace Energy Drink

Eating a banana can provide a comparable or more efficacy than an energy drink. Especially, for athletes who need carbohydrate intake to refill energy and accelerate the recovery of stamina.

For decades, athletes and coaches believe that carbohydrate consumption is very important during sports. Carbohydrates become an important fuel for muscles, reducing physiological stress, and preventing the risk of inflammation.

The most easily digestible form of carbohydrates is sugar, either glucose, fructose, or sucrose. Many athletes use energy drinks but are deemed necessary to be limited because they are unnatural and contain certain flavors and chemicals.

Researchers at the North Carolina Research Campus of Appalachian State University in Kannapolis, recommend fruits as a healthier alternative. One of them is a banana that provides anti-inflammatory benefits.

In another study published in the journal PLOS One last month, the research team again tested the same thing. They asked 20 cyclists to ride 75 km of water with drinking water, energy drinks, and banana consumption.

The researchers measured the condition of the participants before and after cycling. Among these are blood pressure as a marker of inflammation and metabolites or molecules that show how much stress the body experiences.

Study participants who drank only water showed a high level of inflammation. The rate is much lower in participants who are cycling with the same duration and distance but are consuming bananas or energy drinks during the process.

However, the consumption of bananas cause side effects such as bloating is less fun for participants. The team plans to explore it and examine other fruits such as dates containing more sugar than bananas, quoted from Channel News Asia.

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