The Urban Trainer Blog - UK

The sweet potato is also known incorrectly in parts of the USA as a yam. The sweet potato goes by the scientific name of Ipomoea batatas, is a member of the Convolvulaceae family and a storage root. While the yam has the scientific name Dioscorea Species, is from the Dioscoreaceae family and is a tuber. And finally, sweet potatoes are native to Central America while the yam is native to Africa and Asia.

Now that little confusion has been cleared up, more about the sweet potato; one of the oldest vegetables known with relics dating back 10,000 years discovered in Peruvian caves. They were brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus. Today the main commercial producer is China which is responsible for around 80% of the World’s production.

Unsurprisingly given its rich orange colour the sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), with 100g providing a whopping 2006 IUs of it, against a daily recommended intake of 2300 for women and 3000 IUs for men. The same 100g will provide around 1.5g of protein, 24g of carbohydrate and 2g of fat. You also get a healthy vitamin C punch of around 22mg, as well as vitamin B6, potassium, iron, copper and manganese; eat the skin and you get a very healthy serving of fibre too. Vitamin A and vitamin C are powerful anti-oxidants which combine with natural anti-oxidant properties of the protein found in the sweet potato to combat the free-radical damage of hard training - essential for recovery and growth after hard workouts. Without vitamin B6 your protein metabolism is compromised, as is your ability to produce serotonin, so you don’t grow and you don’t feel good about it either! Add the minerals and you have the ingredient to help you recover and grow efficiently.

For the hard training person the anti-oxidant rich sweet potato is an excellent choice, providing low GI carbohydrate in a satisfyingly satiating package of vitamins and minerals with virtually no fat. So go off and buy some, avoid any that are in chilled cabinets. Sweet potatoes hate the cold, they won’t grow in it, and when stored in it taste considerably unsweet indeed. Instead head away from the chilled section and look for those that have a rich colour, are firm and without cracks, bruises or soft spots. Also it may be worth paying the extra for the organic variety as often the non-organic ones are dyed or waxed to improve their appearance. Once you get your sweet potatoes home, don’t put them in the fridge - they don’t like the cold remember - instead they should be stored in a cool dark and well ventilated place, and definitely not in a plastic bag. Sweet potatoes are quite fussy and will spoil quickly if they temperature is too warm.