Banana Cultivars and Exercise Performance and Recovery

Study Summary

In a previous study at the Appalachian State University (ASU) Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC), investigators showed that cyclists ingesting about one-half of a banana with water every 15 minutes cycled 75-km faster (5%) than with water alone. The polyphenols (i.e., chemicals in plants with health benefits) in the banana improved the capacity to counter oxidative stress, and the sugars lowered post-exercise inflammation. The cyclists reported some gastrointestinal discomfort, however, from the high volume of bananas consumed. Dole Foods, the sponsor of this study, has a banana collection that includes many different varieties, including the Mini banana that has a higher sugar (50%) and phenolic (63%) content than the typical banana (Cavendish) available in stores. Thus athletes should experience similar performance benefits from a smaller volume of Mini compared to Cavendish bananas, and reduced gastrointestinal symptoms. If study results are favorable, Dole Foods may market the Mini banana as the "sport" banana. The purpose of this study is to compare ingestion of Mini and Cavendish bananas with an equicaloric, sugar-only beverage or water on 75-km cycling performance and post-exercise oxidative capacity and stress, inflammation, immune function, muscle damage and soreness, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Primary Outcome

Total plasma concentrations of five inflammatory cytokines \[monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10\] will be determined using an electrochemiluminescence based solid-phase sandwich immunoassay (Meso Scale Discovery, Gaithersburg,MD, USA).

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• OTHER Water
• OTHER Mini banana
• OTHER Cavendish banana
• OTHER 6% sugar beverage

Study Locations (1)