Institute of Sport Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39104, Magdeburg, Germany.
Unit of Research Molecular Bases of Human Diseases, 12ES17, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, 3000, Sfax, Tunisia.
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020 Mar 6;17(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s12970-020-00345-w.
Maximal strength-speed exercise is a powerful stimulus to acutely increase concentrations of circulating steroid hormones and homocysteine [Hcy]. There is some evidence that antioxidant beverages rich in polyphenols can attenuate [Hcy] levels and modulate endocrine responses in favor of an anabolic environment. Polyphenols-rich pomegranate (POM) have been reported to possess one of the highest antioxidant capacities compared to other purported nutraceuticals and other food stuffs. Studies focused on proving the beneficial effect of POM consumption during maximal strength exercises have only measured physical performance, muscle damage, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, while POM effects on [Hcy] and hormonal adaptations are lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of consuming natural polyphenol-rich pomegranate juice (POMj) on the acute and delayed [Hcy] and steroidal hormonal responses to a weightlifting exercises session.
Nine elite weightlifters (21.0 ± 1 years) performed two Olympic-weightlifting sessions after ingesting either the placebo (PLA) or POMj supplements. Venous blood samples were collected at rest and 3 min and 48 h after each session.
Compared to baseline values, circulating cortisol [C] decreased (p < 0.01) and testosterone/cortisol [T/C] ratio increased immediately following the training session in both PLA and POMj conditions (p = 0.003 for PLA and p = 0.02 for POM). During the 48 h recovery period, all tested parameters were shown to recover to baseline values in both conditions with significant increases in [C] and decreases in [T/C] (p < 0.01 for PLA and p < 0.05 for POMj) from 3 min to 48 h post-exercises. Compared to PLA, a lower level of plasma testosterone [T] was registered 3 min post exercise using POMj supplementation (p = 0.012) and a significant decrease (p = 0.04, %change = - 14%) in plasma [Hcy] was registered during the 48 h recovery period only using POMj. A moderate correlation was observed between [Hcy] and [T] responses (p = 0.002, r = - 0.50).
In conclusion, supplementation with POMj has the potential to attenuate the acute plasma [T] response, but did not effect 48 h recovery kinetics of [Hcy] following weightlifting exercise. Further studies investigating androgen levels in both plasma and muscular tissue are needed to resolve the functional consequences of the observed acute POMj effect on plasma [T].
Clinical Trials.gov, ID: NCT02697903. Registered 03 March 2016.
最大力量速度运动是一种强大的刺激，可以使循环类固醇激素和同型半胱氨酸[Hcy]浓度急性增加。有证据表明，富含多酚的抗氧化饮料可以降低[Hcy]水平，并调节内分泌反应，有利于合成代谢环境。富含多酚的石榴（POM）被报道具有比其他声称的营养保健品和其他食物更高的抗氧化能力之一。专注于证明在最大力量运动期间消耗 POM 的有益效果的研究仅测量了身体表现、肌肉损伤、氧化应激和炎症反应，而缺乏 POM 对[Hcy]和激素适应的影响。本研究旨在研究食用天然多酚丰富的石榴汁（POMj）对举重训练期间急性和延迟[Hcy]和类固醇激素反应的影响。
9 名精英举重运动员（21.0±1 岁）在摄入安慰剂（PLA）或 POMj 补充剂后进行了两次奥林匹克举重训练。在每个训练后，分别在休息时以及 3 分钟和 48 小时采集静脉血样。
与基线值相比，循环皮质醇[C]在训练后立即下降（p<0.01），并且在 PLA 和 POMj 条件下，睾酮/皮质醇[T/C]比值均增加（PLA 时为 p=0.003，POMj 时为 p=0.02）。在 48 小时恢复期内，两种情况下所有测试参数均恢复到基线值，皮质醇[C]显著增加，[T/C]显著降低（PLA 时为 p<0.01，POMj 时为 p<0.05）从运动后 3 分钟到 48 小时。与 PLA 相比，在使用 POMj 补充剂时，运动后 3 分钟时血浆睾酮[T]水平较低（p=0.012），并且仅在使用 POMj 时，在 48 小时恢复期内，血浆[Hcy]显著降低（p=0.04，%变化=-14%）。观察到[Hcy]和[T]反应之间存在中度相关性（p=0.002，r=-0.50）。
总之，POMj 的补充有可能减弱急性血浆[T]反应，但对举重运动后 48 小时[Hcy]的恢复动力学没有影响。需要进一步研究血浆和肌肉组织中的雄激素水平，以解决观察到的 POMj 对血浆[T]的急性作用的功能后果。
ClinicalTrials.gov，ID：NCT02697903。于 2016 年 3 月 3 日注册。
