This time you’re going to do it. You’ve got the gym membership… you’ve got a good pair of athletic shoes. And your renewed commitment to your fitness starts tomorrow… along with all of the huffing, puffing, sweat, strain, and total embarrassment that comes with it.
If this pep talk sounds familiar, you’re not alone—lots of people struggle with the daunting prospect of getting back “in the groove” after a long break from exercise. The fact is, it’s never easy to start an exercise program. But if you’ve been dreading that first grueling workout, take heart—according to the results of one recently published study, there may not be quite as much to fear as you think.
In this small trial, researchers gave twelve healthy subjects either a vitamin-enriched beverage twice daily or the same vitamin-enriched beverage supplemented with an additional 500 mg of the plant-based flavonoid quercetin. Over a week-long period, participants were monitored to assess the amount of time it took to show fatigue during a stationary bike riding session, as measured by VO2max—also known as maximal oxygen consumption, a marker of physical fitness that denotes the maximum capacity of your body to use and transport oxygen during exercise.
None of the trial’s participants had prior aerobic training. But as this study revealed, you don’t have to be a dedicated fitness buff to jump feet first into your workouts… not if you have a little help from Mother Nature.
Results revealed that supplementing with quercetin increased VO2max by 3.9 percent compared to placebo—only a marginal improvement, at best. A closer look at fatigue times, however, told a very different story—the subjects who received a quercetin boost showed a significantly higher 13.9 increase in physical stamina during the bike-riding exercise, when compared with those who drank the vitamin-enriched beverage without quercetin.1
The conclusion: A simple daily quercetin supplement can increase your fitness and endurance during an exercise training program in as little as seven days.
This may be a small study—but it’s hardly the first of its kind, with animal investigations having delivered similar results in the past. And with its proven anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, there’s no question that taking quercetin along with your daily multivitamin can give you a critical edge… especially on those first difficult trips to the gym.
Even better, try pairing quercetin with bromelain—a natural enzyme derived from fresh pineapple and clinically proven to relieve inflammation and support your body during times of stress. You’ll find this powerful combo in a formula called QuerCelain®—along with extra doses of magnesium and vitamin C to help prime your immune system and jumpstart your new fitness program with ease.
Reference:
1. Davis JM, Carlstedt CJ, Chen S, Carmichael MD, Murphy EA. The Dietary Flavonoid Quercetin Increases VO2max and Endurance Capacity. Inter J Sports Nutr Exerc Metab. 2009 June 24. Published Online Ahead of Print.