Effect of Supplementation With Ecklonia cava Polyphenol on Endurance Performance of College Students

Abstract

Ecklonia cava polyphenol (ECP) is a potent antioxidant and procirculatory agent that may contribute to improvement of endurance performance during highly intense exercise. This study evaluated the acute effect of an ECP-supplemented drink against a placebo on maximum endurance capacity and related physiological parameters. Twenty men 18-23 yr old volunteered as participants. Each performed 2 randomized trials with a 1-week interval between them. One trial was with ECP and the other with a placebo drink. Participants in this randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design ingested either a placebo or ECP drink 30 min before each exercise trial. Time to exhaustion, VO(2max), and postexercise blood glucose and lactate levels were evaluated. ECP supplementation increased time to exhaustion (2.39 min) compared with placebo. This result was accompanied by a 6.5% higher mean VO(2max) in the ECP group, although the difference was not statistically significant. The blood glucose level in the ECP group at 3 min after exhaustive exercise was significantly higher than that of the placebo group (+ 9.9%). The postexercise blood lactate levels in the ECP group showed a decreasing trend compared with placebo, but it was nonsignificant. This study was not able to determine any physiological mechanisms behind the improved endurance performance, but, based on these results, it is speculated that the ECP supplementation may have contributed to enhanced oxidation of glucose and less production of lactate during intense exercise, possibly by its free-radical-scavenging and procirculatory activities. However, careful verification is required to elucidate the correct mechanism.

The Effects of a 6-Month High Dose Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Antioxidant Vitamins Supplementation on Cognitive Function and Functional Capacity in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

“…On the other hand, supplementation with omega fatty acids could lead to physiological and metabolic adaptations which could favor functional capacity like improved endothelial function and increased metabolic rate and fat oxidation [30,72]. Even though there is contradictory evidence regarding the effects of antioxidant intakes on exercise performance, it has been suggested that individuals with antioxidant deficiency or with high oxidative stress levels may benefit from the antioxidant treatments [73][74][75]. In support of this assertion, a recent study has shown that antioxidant supplementation decreased oxidative stress and improved physical performance in old but not in young adults [59].…”

Acute Effects of Polyphenols from Cranberries and Grape Seeds on Endothelial Function and Performance in Elite Athletes

“…Results were relatively similar in men and women (not shown). The increase in time to exhaustion after intake of polyphenols from Ecklonia cava has been seen along with a non-significant trend towards a decrease in plasma lactate levels in college students [32]. In another study testing the effect of four-week supplementation with 800 mg of a coffeeberry formulation (polyphenol content not provided), blood lactate concentrations after 10 min of recovery following a 60-second vertical jump test were significantly reduced compared with placebo [33].…”

“…We cannot exclude the possibility that polyphenol supplementation through its vasodilating effect may affect performance in the context of longer duration events, in which the aerobic capacity becomes a more important performance-limiting factor. Accordingly, acute supplementation with polyphenols from Ecklonia cava in 23 college student volunteers significantly increased time to exhaustion on a bicycle compared with placebo [32]. This deserves further investigation in elite athletes.…”

Polyphenols in Exercise Performance and Prevention of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

“…Recently it has been found that Ecklonia cava (a species of brown alga present in the ocean of Japan and Korea) polyphenols acute preexercise supplementation induces a slight but significant increase in time to exhaustion in healthy human subjects [102]. …”