Natural energizers, cranberries could help high-level runners improve their sporting records.
- Due to their energizing effects, whole foods (rice, pasta, etc.) are recommended to improve sports performance.
- Eating cranberries regularly could also increase the sporting abilities of athletes.
- According to a Canadian study, consuming cranberry extract for 28 days could increase speed in the 1,500 meter time trial.
In high-level sport, nutrition plays a key role. In the case of running, it is particularly recommended to eat foods rich in carbohydrates, such as whole grains, which act as quick fuel for the muscles. Eating cranberries could also help athletes improve physical performance and reduce muscle fatigue, according to researchers at Concordia University (Canada). Their work was published in the journal Physical Activity and Nutrition.
The energizing effects of cranberries
For the purposes of this research, 14 high-level runners from the Concordia university athletics team and two Montreal running clubs were recruited. The latter practiced at least five hours of endurance training per week.
Over the course of three visits, the athletes ran two timed events, the first over 1,500 meters and the second over 400 meters. The first visit served as a reference. For the second meeting, they received a single large dose of cranberry extract two hours before the races. The scientists then invited them to consume a small dose of cranberry extract daily for 28 days before performing the two tests again. They also attached a portable near-infrared spectroscopy device to runners to measure muscle oxygenation levels before, during and after their run.
“We chose these distances to test the effects of cranberry extract on different energy systems (…) The 400 meters is shorter and more intense and uses the anaerobic system. The 1,500 meters uses the aerobic system, but it is shorter than what athletes usually run. Since they don’t train to run this distance, we were able to isolate the effects of training as a variable.”, explained Francis Parenteau, co-author of the article and doctoral candidate at Concordia University (Cardiovascular Physiology, Nutrition, Exercise Physiology). After assessing running times, the researchers measured the runners’ post-exercise blood lactate, a marker of potential muscle fatigue and lack of oxygen.
Regular consumption of cranberries could increase sports skills
Scientists have found that the Consumption of cranberry extract for 28 days tended to increase speed in the 1,500 meter time trial, but not in the 400 meter time trial. “The beauty of cranberries is that they are all natural. These berries are an ergogenic aid, meaning they enhance performance, but they are not anabolic steroids. Athletes can get this important performance boost simply by consuming more cranberries”, noted Andreas Bergdahl, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology. However, study managers found that lactate accumulation was reduced after the 400 meters, but not after the 1,500 meters, compared to baseline.
