Powering Athletes Naturally: Wisconsin Potatoes for Performance and Sustainability

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.

Athletes embrace potatoes as a clean, natural fuel to power endurance and recovery.

Annie Wetter, retired professor of nutrition at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens:

"Another consideration important to many consumers is the environmental impact of their food choices."

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.

Annie Wetter:

"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.

High-Quality Protein: 3g Per 100-calorie serving, potatoes pack as much protein as many nuts and more protein than grains.

In addition, the quality of potato protein is superior to that of grains and comparable to many nuts and beans (e.g., walnuts, almonds, kidney beans, garbanzo beans) (Derbyshire et al. Believe It or 'Nut': Why It Is Time to Set the Record Straight on Nut Protein Quality: Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Focus. Nutrients 2023, 15, 2158.

In fact, potato protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis to the same extent as milk protein (PINCKAERS, P. J. M., F. K. HENDRIKS, W. J. H. HERMANS, J. P. B. GOESSENS, J. M. SENDEN, J.M. X. VAN KRANENBURG, W. K. H. W. WODZIG, T. SNIJDERS, and L. J. C. VAN LOON. Potato Protein Ingestion Increases Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates at Rest and during Recovery from Exercise in Humans.

Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 54, No. 9, pp. 1572-1581, 2022). Annie advises anyone who wants to reduce the environmental impact of their diet to eat more plant protein and less animal protein. Ounce for ounce, vegetables, including potatoes, were found to have the lowest environmental impact and best nutrition profile among a wide array of foods, especially compared to animal-based foods and ultra-processed, packaged food products (fig 5 from Estimating the environmental impacts of 57,000 food products. M Clark, et al. PNAS vol 119, no 33, 2022.

Annie Wetter:

"When people think about dietary protein, meat is the food that comes to mind first. Understanding that all plant foods provide protein and a diet with a wide variety of plant foods does provide enough protein to meet our needs enables consumers to make food choices that honor both their value for the environment and their health."

Potassium: 620mg, 15% of the daily value

One serving of potatoes delivers more potassium than a large banana. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and works closely with sodium to maintain fluid balance. It is an important electrolyte that is lost via sweat during exercise, especially endurance activities.

Potatoes are an excellent choice for fueling up before exercise, ensuring that active people have the electrolytes necessary to perform at their best. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, potassium is widely underconsumed and is identified as a nutrient of public health concern.

The Power Baked Potato: a simple, whole-food fuel that delivers energy and electrolytes

Vitamin C: 20mg, 30% of the daily value. Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen, which provides structure and elasticity to connective tissues throughout the body. It also supports wound healing and may contribute to muscle recovery; however, research has not consistently shown muscle recovery benefits from high-dose vitamin C supplementation, so getting adequate vitamin C from foods remains the best practice.

Magnesium: 46.7mg, 11% of the Daily Value (420mg). Magnesium deficiency is particularly common in athletes, for whom it is thought that requirements might be higher than for the general population due to losses in sweat and increased magnesium utilization for muscle repair and to tackle inflammation. Magnesium is the subject of increasing attention in the world of sports performance due to its critical role in reducing oxidative stress, ameliorating chronic inflammation, and regulating blood pressure. It is also critical for:

• Energy production: Magnesium is necessary for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cellular powerhouse that essentially fuels everything the human body is capable of.
• Muscle function: Magnesium is critical for nerve transmission and muscle contraction. Low magnesium intake may contribute to muscle cramps.
• Glucose regulation: Magnesium helps regulate blood glucose levels.

Potatoes are a familiar and widely available source of dietary magnesium. In fact, research suggests that 5% of the magnesium in Americans’ diets comes from potatoes. Vitamin B6: 0.2mg, 10% of the daily value.

This B vitamin is necessary for numerous processes in the body, including proper immune function, and the production of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the brain, muscles, and all other parts of the body. Vitamin B6 is also heavily involved in protein metabolism.

Iron: 1.1mg, 6% of the daily value.

Iron quite literally puts the “heme” in haemoglobin. It is crucial for oxygen delivery to the brain and muscles. Because iron can be lost through sweat, urine, and the GI tract during intense exercise, those regularly engaging in endurance training or other intense exercise are at increased risk for iron insufficiency. Premenopausal female athletes are particularly vulnerable.

Though not a notable source of iron, potatoes’ impressive vitamin C content and very low antinutrient levels make the bioavailability shine compared to that of many other plant foods rich in iron.

Fuel Timing Matters

We caught up with Annie Wetter, PhD (Nutritional Sciences), Professor of Nutrition at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, to talk about fuel timing—and why potatoes are her go-to carb during endurance training and races.

For athletes who engage in relatively intense and/or long-duration training and competition, muscles need plenty of stored carbohydrates, called glycogen. During the training and competition seasons, a high-carbohydrate diet day in, day out is necessary to ensure adequate muscle glycogen stores. Athletes generally don’t need to eat carbs during bouts of training or competition lasting less than 90 minutes. However, soccer players, runners, triathletes, and other endurance athletes can benefit from eating carbs right before and/or during sessions of 90 minutes or longer.

Potatoes are easy to digest and deliver carbohydrate energy quickly to muscles so they can be a good choice before or during long-duration exercise. Under these circumstances, be sure that they are not fried or have other high-fat add-ons like cheese. Fat slows digestion and prevents carbohydrates from reaching the muscles. Food settling in the stomach during exercise can also lead to nausea and gut discomfort. The highly processed sports foods like goos, bars, and chews are all low in fat.

Hash Brown Egg Nests offer a convenient, nutrient-rich bite for pre- or post-workout fuel

Annie Wetter:

"I rely on potatoes during long-distance races. I prefer them dipped in salt so I can drink water instead of sports drinks. Some people prefer the mild taste of potatoes to the intensely sweet and artificially flavored sports products. They cost less too: 40 grams of carbs from a Clif Bar costs USD 2.50 or more, whereas 40g of carbs from potatoes costs about USD 0.75."

Most people think of pasta as the ideal high-carb food for athletes, but potatoes are a very versatile, affordable, and healthy high-carb option. Annie regularly makes potatoes part of a meal, even when the recipe doesn’t call for them. For example, she

• Adds them to her favorite stews, soups, and curries
• Ladles stews and curries on top of potatoes instead of rice or noodles
• Roasts them with carrots and other veggies like brussels sprouts or green beans for
• an easy veggie side and leftovers that make a great snack

For delicious, performance-focused potato recipes, check out these favorites from Potatoes USA:

• Portable Egg and Potato Performance Frittatas
• Performance Hash Brown and Egg Nests
• Hash Brown Performance Waffles
• Power Performance Baked Potato
• Portable Performance Potato Cakes

Conclusion

Whether mashed for pre-exercise fuel, portioned into portable mid-competition snacks, or baked and topped for post-workout recovery, potatoes are a practical and highly functional fuel option for competitive and everyday athletes alike. As interest in whole-food, plant-forward sports nutrition grows, the humble spud might just continue stealing the spotlight.

Fuel on the go: Portable Egg & Potato Mini Frittatas pack protein and carbs for sustained energy.