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Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders Turns to Research to Help With Exercise Recovery

The ultimate motivator adds almonds to his playbook again this season

8/14/2024

MODESTO, Calif., Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders is using all his coaching tools to prepare for the college football season ahead. Those include his Prime Time swagger, electric motivational style, and his unique partnership with California Almonds, which opened his eyes to research showing almonds can help with recovery from workouts.

One of the most singular motivators in college sports, Coach Prime works to prepare his players mentally and physically, both before and after practice and games. Sanders says recovering from workouts doesn’t have to be complicated — it can be as simple as fueling up on two servings of almonds (about 46) daily.

"You gotta WANT it, then you gotta WORK it, which then places you in a position to WIN IT. And to WIN IT, you gotta take care of YOU and make sure your recovery is right,” says Coach Prime. “We are working day in and day out to DOMINATE both on the field and off, which is why I make sure almonds are a part of my life each day. You already know we WANT it, and almonds help us WORK IT, and then WIN IT. IT DON'T STOP, BABY!" 

Groundbreaking research shows that most study participants who ate two servings of almonds, (vs. a calorie matched cereal bar,) four weeks prior, reported reduced fatigue and tension, increased leg and lower back strength during recovery after completing 90-minutes of exercise, and decreased muscle damage during the first day of recovery after completing the exercise.1 This research, funded by the Almond Board of California, was conducted over four weeks among 64 U.S. adults ages 30 – 65 who are occasional exercisers.  

Coach Prime’s partnership with California Almonds became one of the most high-profile sponsorships in college sports in 2023 and is kicking off a second year. He says often that he learned how snacking on almonds can help with exercise and exercise recovery.

Fans can catch Coach Prime and California Almonds at the start of the college football season with ads airing on national and cable TV networks like ABC, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and on social media. For more tips on how to own your prime from Coach Prime himself, visit almonds.com and follow California Almonds on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.

 

About California Almonds
The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture.

1 Nieman, D. C., Omar, A. M., Kay, C. D., Kasote, D. M., Sakaguchi, C. A., Lkhagva, A., Weldemariam, M. M.,& Zhang Q. (2023). Almond intake alters the acute plasma dihydroxy-octadecenoic acid (DiHOME) response to eccentric exercise. Front. Nutr. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1042719