New Polyphenol-Rich PerfLoad Supplement May Improve Athletic Performance During High-Intensity Exercise

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Anaerobic, or high intensity, exercise causes the body to produce excessive amounts of lactate as well as reactive oxygen species, which in turn impacts muscle performance and recovery, leading to muscle fatigue and greater oxidative stress. In order to counteract the negative effects of anaerobic physical activity, researchers sought to determine whether a natural polyphenol-based food supplement might be effective in mitigating muscle fatigue and stabilize oxidative homeostasis following high-intensity activity. A recent clinical study published in Nutrients¹ demonstrates the potential of pre-workout supplementation with PerfLoad, Fytexia’s (Vendres, France) polyphenol-rich formulation introduced in 2016. The study found that supplementing with PerfLoad, (a combination of grape (Vitis vinifera L.), pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), and green tea (Camellia sinensis L. Kuntze), prior to physical exercise may lead to increases in power and overall performance without inducing either more fatigue or a higher heart rate. The study, which was sponsored by Fytexia and conducted in collaboration with the University of Murcia (Murcia, Spain), evaluated PerfLoad’s ability to improve metabolic homeostasis and physical performance during high-intensity exercise under anaerobic conditions. During the course of this randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 15 healthy and recreationally active male participants, ages 20 and above, were instructed to ingest two 500-mg capsules of either PerfLoad or placebo one hour in advance of exercise. Both groups received the same breakfast. Volunteers in both the PerfLoad and placebo groups completed an exercise protocol consisting of four 30-second bouts of cycling at all-out intensity with the aim of inducing increasing oxidative stress for each round of cycling. Both groups were given a standard warm-up and a rest period of four minutes between the first and second sprints and between the third and fourth sprints, with a rest period of five minutes between the second and third sprints. After a five-week washout period, participants switched treatment groups and underwent the testing again. The group supplemented with PerfLoad showed a significant increase in total power output (5%), maximal peak power output (3.7%), and average power developed (5%), without inducing more fatigue or higher heart rate. Researchers also observed levels of fatigue and heart workload identical to those of the placebo group, in spite of the higher power outputs of the group who supplemented with PerfLoad. The researchers concluded that PerfLoad may have the capacity to help athletes improve their physical performance, balance their metabolism, and reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress. Results from this early study highlight PerfLoad’s ability to help protect the heart from increased workload, a finding that suggests sustained heart strength and less depletion of antioxidant stores. Scientists hypothesize that PerfLoad’s efficiency is the result of synergy between its bioactive natural compounds. Fytexia Sports Nutrition recently launched its new range of sports nutrition ingredients, including PerfLoad, in the United States and presented them for the first time in Europe at Vitafoods 2017.  Also read:  4 New Polyphenol Sports Ingredients from Fytexia  Kemin Launches Sports Recovery Version of AssuriTea Polyphenol Ingredient  New Sports Nutrition Antioxidant Ingredient Protects Muscles, Firm Says

References:

1. Cases J et al. “Supplementation with a polyphenol-rich extract, PerfLoad, improves physical performance during high-intensity exercise: a randomized, double blind, crossover trial.” Nutrients. Published online April 24, 2017.