Does Quercetin Improve Performance in Endurance Athletes?

October 7, 2009 · Posted in Cycling, endurance, running · Comment 

apple

Everyone was excited with the initial studies done on Quercetin and endurance athletes looked for promising results to improve their athletic performance. However, studies in humans have been disappointing.

 Quercetin is a phytochemical that is part of the coloring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It has been isolated and is sold as a dietary supplement. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows that quercetin may help to prevent cancer, especially prostate cancer.

Early studies in mice demonstrated evidence of being a potent performance enhance in mice. In the study two groups of mice were given either quercetin or placebo and did pre  and post testing on a wheel treadmill. The mice that received Quercetin were able to run 37% longer that their counterparts who received the placebo.

Several studies in humans both athletes and non-athletes were done with Quercetin and have not produced the same results. F.R.S. financed a small study which demonstrated that the highly trained human athletes improved their performance on Quercetin. The subjects were then given placebo and they also had signifcant improvement in their performance.  A second study was done using 12 untrained men and gave them quercetin and did find improvement after 1 week.

However 3 additional studies have had disappointing results. Runners in the Western States Endurance Run, a 100 mile  were given quercetin and saw no difference. A similar study done by the same researchers found no difference in cyclists.

 The most recent study was done by Coca Cola, which was testing a new drink with Quercetin. “There were simply no differences” between the quercetin and the placebo group, says Kirk J. Cureton, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Georgia and lead author of the study. It just does not improve endurance.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,