NUTRITION

How the Banana Beats CSK’s Official Fruit

Akshay Sawai | 25 Mar, 2012

Chennai Super Kings endorse the apple, but on the field they’re likely to prefer a banana high

MUMBAI ~ Chennai Super Kings, winners of the last two Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, recently endorsed Washington Apples as their official fruit. But from a sports nutrition viewpoint, the banana seems to have an edge over its crunchy cousin. That is why the sight of professional athletes snatching a bite of banana during games is common, not so much an apple.

When asked where the banana scores over the apple, nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar says, “Bananas provide quick energy, maintain electrolyte balance and are easy to digest. They have potassium and carbohydrates. And they are often local. Anything that’s local is going to be fresher, and, therefore, more nutritious. For Chennai, even papaya or jackfruit would have been a good option.”

Diwekar also says that apples are notorious for being loaded with pesticides. “The world over, there is a move for cleaner apples,” she says.

When unadulterated and locally produced, apples are good guys who bring important things to the table. Among other things, apples contain pectin, which is good for the heart, and vitamins. It is just that bananas do a little more and do it quicker, at T20 pace. According to livestrong.com, a website supported by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, ‘Bananas are a more energy-dense fruit than apples, with 3.5 oz. of bananas—equivalent to two-thirds of a cup of banana slices—providing 23 g of carbs as starch and sugars. In contrast, 3.5 oz. of apple, or 1 cup of slices, offers only 14 g of carbs, predominantly as sugars.’

One thing is certain. The deal with Washington Apples means vitamin M for the Super Kings. Washington Apples is one of the team’s two new sponsors this season, the other being a Hindi entertainment channel (which, sadly, might not have much nutrition value). Last year, Chennai Super Kings are estimated to have earned revenues of Rs 140 crore. This year, they expect to do better by 20 per cent. And maybe celebrate with a daiquiri. But which one, apple or banana? That’s the moot point.