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Dietary flavonoid quercetin has no effect on endurance capacity and antioxidant status in long distance runners
Author(s) -
Scholten Shane,
Moen Joseph,
Schnabel Shawn,
Sergeev Igor N
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.773.11
Subject(s) - quercetin , antioxidant , flavonoid , endurance training , chemistry , placebo , food science , superoxide dismutase , lipid peroxidation , antioxidant capacity , pharmacology , biochemistry , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Dietary supplementation with bioactives is reemerging as a promising approach for enhancement of athletic and military performance. Quercetin, a polyphenolic flavonoid with high antioxidant activity, is used for increasing endurance in athletes, however, mechanisms of this effect have not been investigated. We hypothesized that quercetin may improve antioxidant status and, thus, increase exercise performance in long distance runners. During six weeks of supplementation utilizing a double blind, randomized design with a 2‐week washout period, trained young male subjects received quercetin (1000 mg/d) or placebo while maintaining their current training schedules. The results obtained demonstrated no significant difference in VO2peak or running economy as measured by oxygen consumption during identical, self‐selected pre‐ and post‐10 km runs. The quercetin supplementation resulted in no changes in total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase activity, lipid peroxidation (MDA), protein oxidation (protein carbonyl), and oxidative DNA damage (8‐OHdG) in plasma, as compared with corresponding controls. These findings imply that quercetin supplementation does not enhance endurance exercise performance or improve antioxidant status in long distance runners, possibly due to participants reaching a ceiling in antioxidant capacity. Supported by NIH 2P20RR016479 and USDA SD00H325.