Bloodflow, fatigue, Rio, performance, blackcurrants

Who needs a title when you can just put 5 random words? Well, of course, they’re not really random and those words spring out from the latest research from Prof. Willems @Chichester Uni into blackcurrant supplementation for endurance athletes.

His double-blind, randomized, crossover study, entitled “Blackcurrant Alters Physiological Responses and Femoral Artery Diameter during Sustained Isometric Contraction”, was published in the open-access journal “Nutrients” and can also be found (here).

The study demonstrated that the “Intake of NZBC extract for 7-days altered cardiovascular responses, muscle oxygen saturation, muscle activity and femoral artery diameter during a 120-s 30%iMVC of the quadriceps.”

So essentially we are looking at:

• More bloodflow means more oxygen giving enhanced performance and reduced fatigue; and
• More bloodflow can aid recovery by greater nutrient delivery.

Previous research showed similar and other benefits. For example some of the blackcurrant research (as above) shows vasodilatory effects – beet-it shows similar vasodilatory effects but do the two work together? or just do the same thing? I think the jury is out on that question BUT curranz has still been shown to increase fat oxidation as an energy source when exercising – so that is a different and further positive effect.

Let’s finish by saying that members of the GB Olympic team (eg Tom Farrell) use the curranz product.

I don’t get paid for writing any of this by the manufacturers but I do get the odd free sample from time-to-time. And I only get them because I use them because I think they work.

Source: Can also be found (here).