Wisconsin Potatoes Power Performance; Jenny Heap Shares

WISCONSIN - In this piece from the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, author Jenny Heap MS, RDN highlights how recent research and national media attention are spotlighting potatoes as a powerful fuel for endurance athletes:

In May 2025, the Washington Post published an article entitled, Powered by potatoes: Endurance athletes are chasing speed with spuds. The humble potato – cited as a mild, carbohydrate-packed fuel option – is growing in popularity among endurance athletes like cyclists and ultramarathoners, some of whom are diversifying their mid-competition fuel options by adding potatoes to the rotation. Though the interest in plant-based and clean-label eating is nothing new, this potato hack is refreshingly unorthodox.…but should it be?

This athletic attention is more than a fad – in fact, it’s backed by research and may have been sparked, in part, by research supported by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2019. In a randomized crossover trial, 12 trained cyclists were fueled with russet potato puree or a commercial energy gel during a two-hour cycling challenge followed by a time trial. The cyclists consumed water only for the control cycling challenge. Results showed that the potato puree and commercial carbohydrate gel were equally effective in sustaining blood glucose levels and improving speed during the time trials.

While the study wasn’t double-blinded (athletes knew what they were consuming), blood draws during the potato and carbohydrate gel-fueled cycling challenges showed similar increases in circulating glucose, indicating comparable carbohydrate availability.

Results of a subsequent study published in 2020 also supported potatoes as a worthy alternative to commercial sports supplements in recreationally active adults. When compared with commercial sports supplements, potato-based products were equally effective in replenishing muscle glycogen post-workout.

“Another consideration important to many consumers is the environmental impact of their food choices,” says Annie Wetter, retired professor of nutrition at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and expert in sports nutrition and eating for wellness. Most sports foods (gels, bars, chews) are ultraprocessed foods that require manufacturing and shipping from far-flung places. Their wrappers cannot be recycled or repurposed and clog landfills. “But potatoes are a minimally processed food that Wisconsinites can purchase directly from local farmers to support their local economy and reduce their diet’s environmental impact. Many grocery stores feature Wisconsin-grown potatoes, so even potatoes from the store will have lower food miles than foods grown and processed elsewhere.”

Potatoes as a Whole-Food Fuel

What makes potatoes so well-suited as a fuel for physical activity? In evaluating carbohydrates as fuel, it's important to think of them in terms of the total package. Whole foods like potatoes bring a naturally deep bench of beneficial macro- and micronutrients. One medium (5.3 ounces) skin-on potato provides the following:

Complex Carbohydrate (including fiber and starch): 26g

Starch is the primary carbohydrate supplied by potatoes, most of which is present in the form of amylopectin (easily digested) and amylose (a resistant starch that undergoes fermentation in the gut and supports a healthy microbiome). Potatoes also deliver 2 grams of dietary fiber, only half of which is found in the skin, so even a peeled potato will provide some fiber to moderate digestion.

Potatoes provide carbohydrates with staying power. The combination of starch and fiber ensures that both immediate and sustained energy is on board to power performance of all kinds – from trail runs to team calls to post-work pick-up games.

See the full piece here.