Recent study showed that Zynamite PX improved performance in high level basketball players

Photo © AdobeStock.com/Andrey Burmakin

A recent double-blind, crossover study published in Nutrients found that supplementation with a synergistic blend of Mangifera indica leaf extract (rich in mangiferin) and Sophora japonica extract (standardized to 50% quercetin) significantly improved performance in high level athletes. The extract is produced by Nektium Pharma S.L. and marketed exclusively by PLT Health Solutions in the United States, Mexico, and Canada as Zynamite PX.

In the study, the effect of the product was investigated in 38 high level male basketball players during a basketball exercise simulation test (BEST), which is comprised of 24 circuits of 30 second activities with various movement distances. The 38 players were divided into an experimental group and a control group. At first, each group was given a placebo one hour prior to BEST (pre-condition). One week later, the experimental group received the extract and the control group received placebo one hour before BEST (post-condition).

Researchers measured mean heart rate (HR), circuit and sprints times (CT and ST) during BEST, as well as capillary blood lactate levels (La−), the subjective rating of muscle soreness (RPMS), and the perceived exertion (RPE) during a resting state prior to and following the BEST. Results showed that subjects taking the extract saw significantly lower values in post-condition for mean CT and RPE compared to pre-conditiona nd the post-condition of the control group.

“This is the second study that has shown significant performance improvements by athletes just one hour after supplementing with Zynamite PX – the previous study relating to improved power. This fast-acting performance improvement opens up a new range of commercial opportunities for sports nutrition consumer products companies,” said Devin Stagg, chief operating officer at PLT Health Solutions, in a press release.

In the previous randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study from 2019, subjects were administered a single dose of Zynamite an hour prior to exercise. Subjects performed three Wingate sprint tests interspaced by four-minutes and a final 15-second sprint. The final sprint was following induced ischemia, or blood flow restriction, to stimulate exhaustion. According to PLT Health, results showed that peak power improved by 3.8% following supplementation with Zynamite, compared to placebo.

According to the researchers of the most recent study, stop-and-go sports such as basketball “induce heightened glycolytic metabolism, leading to the accumulation of lactate and a decline in muscle pH. Conversely, the process of acidification promotes the generation of hydroxyl radicals and diminishes the effectiveness of antioxidant enzymes.”

The polyphenols mangiferin and quercetin have exhibited an ability to neutralize free radicals, and therefore their combination may have a cumulative antioxidant effect, say the researchers. The study is not without its limitations. Its small and exclusively male subjects limit its generalizability, the specific dosage used does not encompass the spectrum of potential effective doses, and the researchers did not evaluate biochemical markers to understand what the extract does physiologically. But the study does encourage further and more in depth investigation.

Reference

1. Bourdas, D.I.; Travlos, A.K.; Souglis, A.; Stavropoulou, G.; Zacharakis, E.; Gofas, D.C.; Bakirtzoglou, P. Effects of a singular dose of mangiferin–quercetin supplementation on basketball performance: A double-blind crossover study of high-level male players. Nutrients, 2024, 16 (1): 170. DOI: 10.3390/nu16010170
2. Gelabert-Rebato, M.; Martin-Rincon, M.; Galvan-Alvarez, V.; Gallego-Selles, A.; Martinez-Canton, M.; Vega-Morales, T.; Wiebe, J.C.; et al. A single dose of the mango leaf extract Zynamite® in combination with quercetin enhances peak power output during repeated sprint exercise in men and women. Nutrients, 2019, 11 (11): 2592. DOI: 10.3390/nu11112592