This article looks at the effect of polyphenol tablets on exercise capacity
What’s the deal?
There are quite a few supplements you can take to improve your exercise capacity, but most require you to take them every day for a week or more. Is it possible to see improvements in less than 24 hours?
What did they do?
48 participants were recruited to take part in two exercise capacity test sessions on a stationary bike, one week apart. The test increased in difficulty over time and participants had to maintain cycling at 80rpm until exhaustion. For one of the exercise tests, participants took 500mg of polyphenols in tablet form on the night before and again 1 hour before exercise. A placebo tablet was used before the other test.
What happened?
Participants were able to cycle for almost 10% longer after taking the polyphenol tablets compared to taking the placebo. This was equivalent to about a 2.5 minute increase in exercise capacity.
What can you tell me about the people?
All participants were fit and healthy males, who regularly exercised for at least 3, but no more than 6 hours every week. They were 31 years old on average, with a healthy average BMI of 23.5.
What else should I know?
The polyphenol tablets used here were called VinitroxTM and were derived from either grapes or apples. Polyphenols act as antioxidants and cause relaxation of blood vessels, making them wider and able to carry more oxygen-rich blood to exercising muscles. More blood flow usually equals greater exercise capacity.
What will I do differently?
This is a cool trick to have up your sleeve! I am sometimes put off experimenting with supplements if they need to be taken for multiple days. A tablet the night before and one on race day feels a little safer and less of a commitment!
Acknowledgements
This research was published in August 2017 by G Deley and colleagues from Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.
This article highlights our personal take on their research, but there is so much more information available! Check it out here and see what you think!
Abstract Athlete 