Are Bananas Healthy?

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• A way to fix hearing loss?

• The science of human-grade animal food

• The truth about bananas

• Coaching call

On Our Radar
Can Hearing Loss Be Reversed? 

Hearing loss from birth was thought to be irreversible — but breakthroughs give hope for the future.

A new gene therapy trial showed dramatic hearing improvements in children, teens, and even one adult born with a rare form of genetic deafness.

Researchers tested a one-time dose of gene therapy in 10 participants with deafness caused by mutations in a gene that influences hearing. The results were promising.

Within 6 months, participants improved their hearing by an average of 54 decibels. Responses in multiple hearing tests (like auditory brainstem and steady-state response thresholds) followed similar trends, showing rapid improvements—most within just one month.

And it wasn’t just safe—it was well tolerated. Of the 162 reported side effects, the most common was a mild, temporary dip in a type of white blood cell (neutrophils), with no serious adverse events.

Contrary to expectations that infants would respond best, toddlers saw slower and weaker results. The treatment worked best in kids aged 5 to 8, not the youngest age group.

While this study opens the door to future breakthroughs, it had a small sample size and only one adult participant. The long-term effects and broader application still require further study. However, for families affected by congenital deafness, this is a historic milestone.

Gene therapy might soon offer a life-changing option for kids—and possibly adults—living with genetic hearing loss. And while timing matters, the results show that even later intervention might be able to restore sound.

Together With Sundays For Dogs
Is Human-Grade Dog Food Worth It? Here’s What the Science Says

If you’ve ever read the label on your dog’s food and wondered if “human-grade” actually means anything, scientists gave us a clearer answer—and it could change what you feed your furry friend.

Human-grade dog food led to better digestion and changes in gut bacteria that suggest a healthier microbiome.

In a 4-phase study, researchers compared the effects of four different diets: a conventional extruded kibble, a fresh cooked food, and two human-grade meals made with beef or chicken. Each dog tried all four diets for 28 days at a time, allowing researchers to track digestion, blood markers, fecal output, and gut bacteria.

The findings were clear: dogs eating human-grade food digested nutrients more efficiently and required less food to maintain their weight. Compared to kibble-fed dogs, those on human-grade diets absorbed 50 to 65 percent more of the food and nutrients.

Protein digestibility was also significantly higher in human-grade diets, and the microbiome shifted in noticeable ways. These microbial changes reflect what researchers suspect is the result of better ingredients and less processing.

And unlike some trendy food experiments that can affect energy levels or nutrient balance, blood work showed no concerning changes—meaning the dogs stayed just as healthy on the inside, too.

If you're feeding kibble because it’s convenient or affordable, there’s no judgment. And if you have questions, it’s best to work with your vet to determine the right food for your pet. 

But this research suggests that human-grade dog foods aren’t just marketing hype—they’re more digestible, cleaner, and better for gut health. 

If your dog struggles with digestion or you’re looking to upgrade their health, we recommend Sundays for Dogs. 

Sundays offer nutrition you can trust—air-dried, human-grade ingredients that are nutrient-rich, shelf-stable, and ready to serve.

Just like we want the best for our bodies, we apply the same logic to your furry best friend. And it’s not just better for your pet, they enjoy it more too. Sundays beat kibble 39-0 in a third-party taste test. And it did without artificial junk—just meats, fruits, and veggies you recognize.

There’s no fridge needed, no prep, and no cleanup. Just scoop and serve.

Get 40% off your first order with code PUMPCLUB and discover the food your dog deserves.

Foods Are Super
Bananas: Much More Than A Smoothie Extra

Some people criticize bananas (and most fruits) as hidden sources of sugar. In reality, it might be one of the simplest dietary adjustments that can help protect you from disease. 

Researchers found that bananas could lower blood pressure and cut your risk of stroke. 

In a meta-analysis of over 247,000 adults, researchers found that higher potassium intake—just 1.6 grams more per day—was linked to a 21 percent lower risk of stroke. A medium banana packs about 420 mg of potassium, making it one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to support your heart.

A review of 22 clinical trials also found that higher potassium intake lowered systolic blood pressure by 3.5 mmHg in people with hypertension. That's the kind of drop you'd expect from prescription meds—but you can get it by adding more potassium-rich foods like bananas to your day.

And the benefits don’t stop there. Green (unripe) bananas, which are higher in resistant starch, can support gut health, improve insulin sensitivity, and aid weight management. And if you need a workout boost, bananas perform just as well as sports drinks in endurance events. In a study of trained cyclists, bananas matched the performance of carbohydrate beverages but added antioxidant and dopamine-boosting benefits.

If you love them, adding a banana to your morning routine or post-workout snack can help performance and overall health. And try to go green a few times a week by slicing unripe bananas into smoothies or baking them into muffins. You’ll get prebiotics for gut health and stable energy—without needing a food label to understand it.

Arnold’s Corner 
The Pump Club Coaches

We’ve added incredible coaches to the Pump Club app. You probably know Adam and Ketch already, but I want you to meet Jen and Nic. Both of them are powerhouses.

I love that they have the same drive to help people that I do.

They insist on doing a weekly zoom call that all app members can attend where members can ask questions and submit videos of their exercises to have their form checked.

I love having them on the team, and I hope you let them help you.

Meet Coach Jen

Who am I?
Hello there, I’m Jen Widerstrom! A middle child out of Chicago who loves teaching, tequila, and rock solid sleep! My first large-scale impact was as “Phoenix” on NBC’s American Gladiators (that’s a fun google search!) and then again as a coach on NBC's The Biggest Loser. Now, after almost 2 decades I have become an esteemed go-to expert and leader in the wellness industry. 

I’m a best-selling, globally published author, celebrity trainer and co-host of a popular new podcast called, The Kids Table with a few other fitness industry heavyweights. My core degree in Sports Administration was earned from the University of Kansas, while competing as a Nationally ranked Division 1 hammer thrower and I am certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) with a specialization in Fitness Nutrition, Behavior Change, and Beginner Training.  

My Why

There’s nothing better than seeing someone step fully into themselves. Not back to who they were, but into a new level of strength, identity and awareness. A true self reclamation. Although it’s very exciting when the dumbbells go up and waistlines go down, I have fallen in love with coaching because of the subsequent breakthroughs in the lives around the people I work with! 

There is also nothing like a relationship grown out of effort, consistency, and genuine belief in one another. Not only am I changed by every person I’ve coached, I’m better for it. The inspiration is always a two-way street and the personal pride that is formed in these relationships cannot be replaced with anything else on the planet. I teach in a way that through the workouts and programming I can take often complicated and even scary things and make them approachable, creating an environment of supported independence, safety, and self belief.

Oftentimes, it’s the lies we tell ourselves that keeps us stuck so not only can my clients see proof of how capable they are— but they begin to understand their personality, more deeply as well. (Their blind spots, their pitfalls, their strengths!) This can be a very revealing process but with me you are never doing it alone. When you can see the mindset that is giving you momentum and also the parts of you that are holding you back, it can become the breakthrough of a lifetime. 

Favorite Part Of The Pump Club

This next part makes me the most emotional. My favorite PUMP CLUB moment, I’m grateful to say, is a reoccurring one! It’s when we have a newcomer that was recommended to join by a loved one because of me. Just recently, long time member Ben Riley let me know that his wife joined because of my presence in the app… My goodness I teared up right on the spot. There is no higher compliment than for the people I work with and truly know me, to rely on me with someone they care about. To be trusted with someone’s history and health is an absolute privilege, a welcomed responsibility and it lights me up every time. 

Meet Coach Nic

My Name is Nicolai, and I’m one of your coaches here at the Pump!

Who am I? 

Well, who am I can be a pretty eclectic question, but to keep this from being long winded, I’m a professional strongman and coach. I bring some world titles, world records, back-to-back America’s Strongest Man titles, and Americas Strongest Veteran to the table as an athlete. How does that serve you? I’ve got a good bit experience in making horsepower and recovering from training at a high level to keep a long story short.

My Why

While competing professionally, I coached all walks of life. From soccer moms, your average Joes of all ages, to high school athletes, powerlifters, and strongman! But where I REALLY fell in love with coaching, was adaptive athletes. People with missing limbs (a lot of combat vets), Cerebral palsy, various neuromuscular conditions and other things affecting physical abilities. It forced me as a coach to get creative and think outside the box when dealing with people that were told this was impossible!

My Favorite Pump Club Moment

That’s an easy answer! When I see the members come in the weekly Zoom meetings, and submit videos of them lifting, which can feel very vulnerable! Then the coaches break down their lift give them some cues to work on over a week or two. Then they come back, with another video submission and we see the progress, the transformation, the confidence building in their movement! 

Seeing that light bulb go off, the feeling of accomplishment. Week after week, to both new and reoccurring faces! 

Why do I love that? Because I’ve felt that! I KNOW THAT FEELING. When it just clicks. Seeing what our bodies can do. Shattering a ceiling. At one point I was new to this, throwing darts in the dark with a blind fold on. A little bit of coaching turned things up to a new level and I’m happy being able to pay that back to you all!

You’ll get some tough love from me. Know you have make a choice. You either do, or you don’t. I’ve seen people say I can’t, and I’ve seen people who were medically told they couldn’t that did…So know, that even though I don’t know you at all, there’s a piece of you, somewhere in there that can. In every. Single. Person…I’m here to help you so you do. If you show up, so will I.

Relentlessly forward🏴‍☠️

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Want to see what the Pump Club coaches can do for you? Join the Pump Club, and every week, they lead live Zoom calls where they answer our questions, correct your form, and guide you to better health. That’s in addition to custom workout programs, nutrition support, a positive community, in-person meetups, Arnold AI, and so much more.

And for this week only, when you buy one membership (at just $6 USD per month), you get another annual membership to gift for free to anyone. Because we all have the strength to lift up the world and get healthier together.

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell