[November 19, 2014] |
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Carbohydrate Found in Pistachio Nuts, Other Foods Impairs Athletic Performance
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. --(Business Wire)--
A recent study by David Nieman, DrPH, director of the Appalachian State
University Human Performance Laboratory at the N.C. Research Campus
(NCRC) in Kannapolis, found that a special type of carbohydrate,
raffinose, in pistachio nuts and other foods reduced athletic
performance when consumed prior to intense exercise.
Pistachios are nutrient-dense nuts that contain a unique nutrient
profile of proteins and carbohydrates. Nieman, who is also a professor
in Appalachian's College of Health Sciences, and his research team
hypothesized that ingesting three ounces of pistachio nuts a day for two
weeks before and on the day of intense cycling would support performance
compared to water only, and would attenuate inflammation, oxidative
stress, and immune dysfunction for 21 hours afterwards.
Since humans cannot digest raffinose, which is found in oods such as
onions, soybeans, chickpeas and pistachios, athletes who ate the
pistachio nuts increased the amount of raffinose in their colon. When
they cycled for 75 kilometers at high intensity, performance time slowed
by 4.8 percent compared to when pistachios were not ingested.
Using a sophisticated tracking technology called metabolomics, Nieman
discovered that raffinose leaked out of the gut during exercise, which
caused the immune system to release a toxin that impaired energy
production in the muscles.
"The net result," Nieman said, "is that, if confirmed by other research
groups, I believe a new sports nutrition policy will be developed that
will recommend that athletes avoid foods containing raffinose in the
days prior to endurance competition."
Nieman clarified that the results of the study do not indicate that
athletes should eliminate foods containing raffinose from their regular
diets. "Pistachio nuts, beans, oat bran and other foods that contain
raffinose are extremely nutritious and essential to a healthy diet," he
said. "When athletes are training for intense competitions like
long-distance cycling or marathons, this study suggests they should
limit some of these raffinose-containing foods during the week prior to
competition to maximize their overall performance."
The study "Influence of pistachios on performance and exercise-induced
inflammation, oxidative stress, immune dysfunction, and metabolite
shifts in cyclists: a randomized, crossover trial" was published
November 19, 2014 in PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed, open-access
resource from the Public Library of Science.
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