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02.01.2022

Diet rich in resveratrol, astaxanthin and beta-carotene increases muscle strength, reduces fatigue

At the end of last year, we wrote about an animal study by Aki Kawamura from 2020, in which supplementation with resveratrol, astaxanthin and beta-carotene was found to accelerate muscle growth. More recently, the same researcher published a study in which he gave foods containing resveratrol, astaxanthin and beta-carotene to people who exercised with weights.

Study
The researchers got 26 male students to do strength training twice a week for 10 weeks. Each workout consisted of 8 basic exercises, such as chest-press, fly, leg-press, leg-extension, leg-curl, back-extension, seated-rowing and the sit-up.

The researchers divided the students into 2 groups. The men in the control group were free to eat whatever they wanted, the men in other group were given foods from the researchers with relatively high concentrations of resveratrol (lingonberry jam), astaxanthin (salmon) and beta-carotene (vegetable juice).

The table below shows how much resveratrol, astaxanthin and beta-carotene the subjects in the intervention group ate daily. Click on the table for a larger version.

The amount of resveratrol in the diet of the intervention group was not exceptionally high.

Results
Before and after the 10 weeks, the researchers determined the maximum strength the subjects could develop during the leg extension. The maximal voluntary contraction [MVC] was greater after the training period in the control group than before the training, but the increase was not statistically significant.

That is remarkable, by the way. Healthy and well-fed young men work out for ten weeks, without their MVC increasing during the leg extension? That's weird.

The MVC did increase significantly in the intervention group.

During the 10 weeks, the subjects were asked to indicate how fatigued they felt several times during rest on a scale from 0 to 100. The subjects in the intervention group reported significantly less fatigue than the subjects in the control group.

That in itself is not strange. In the biomedical literature you will find multiple indications of anti-fatigue effects of both exotic carotenoid compounds [such as crocetin] and common carotenoid compounds [such as lutein].

The researchers were unable to find any effect of an increased intake of resveratrol, astaxanthin and beta-carotene on body composition.

Conclusion
"Anabolic micronutrient-rich foods may increase training efficiency in the early period of resistance training", the researchers write.

Source:
Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Jan 14;10(1):113.

More:
Combination of resveratrol, astaxanthin and beta-carotene may accelerate muscle growth 30.12.2021
Lutein is a medicine against a sedentary lifestyle 12.01.2016
Crocetin: the energy booster from gardenia 02.01.2010

Archives:
Unusual Muscle Building Strategies
Carotenoids
Resveratrol

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