Pycnogenol® for Sports Nutrition
Physical exercise goes along with a dramatically increased oxidation of nutrients to meet the shooting up energy demand. Numerous physiological systems and many biochemical interactions are taking place during exercise. Yet, the most significant and performance limiting interplay is taking place between the cardio-respiratory system and skeletal muscle. This is obvious already from the typical 10 to 20-fold increase in inhaled oxygen over rest.
The cardio-pulmonary system adjusts in a manner to match oxygen and carbon dioxide transport to the metabolic requirements of muscle tissues [Richardson et al., 1999]. Increased oxygen demands during physical activity result in a rapid compensatory increase in cardiac output and redistribution of blood flow to skeletal muscles. The blood flow characteristics play a key logistic role for oxygen supply to muscle, return of carbon dioxide to the lungs and delivery of lactic acid to the liver. Only sufficient muscle oxygenation warrants aerobic energy generation and prevents anaerobic build-up of lactic acid. The blood flow characteristics play a dominant role for peak muscle performance and integrity.
Pycnogenol® relaxes blood vessels and improves blood blow
Nitric oxide (NO) is the key mediator signaling dilatation
of blood vessels to ensure optimal blood flow.
NO contributes to increased exercise-induced blood
perfusion of organs and plays a key role for coordinating
vascular response to exercise. Recent clinical trials
have indicated that exercise training is associated
with a sustained and systemic increase in the capacity
for endothelial nitric oxide production [Green et al.,
2002]. Pycnogenol® stimulates the enzyme “endothelial
nitric oxide synthase” (eNOS) for enhanced generation
of NO from the precursor molecule L-arginine.
In an experiment an artery constricted by the stress hormone adrenaline (epinephrine) was exposed to increasing amounts of Pycnogenol®. By virtue of Pycnogenol® stimulating eNOS in cells lining the inner wall of the artery more NO was synthesized and this consequently released arterial constriction. Pycnogenol® dose-dependently increased the arterial diameter up to 78.4% of the maximum possible relaxation [Fitzpatrick et al., 1998].
Pycnogenol® enhances blood microcirculation
Two clinical studies have shown that Pycnogenol® causes vasodilatation and consequently improves
blood micro-circulation [Wang et al., 1999; Kohama 2004]. Application of specific sensors to the skin of the legs demonstrated an increased presence of oxygenand decreased carbon dioxide after consumption
of Pycnogenol® over a period of six weeks [Belcaro et al., 2005]. This finding suggests that Pycnogenol® supports lasting anaerobic muscle activity during any kind of physical exercise.
The enhanced NO synthesis facilitated by Pycnogenol® was shown to also normalize blood pressure as well as blood platelet aggregability which help to keep blood viscosity within healthy physiological range [Hosseini et al., 2001; Pütter et al., 1998]. Pycnogenol® was further shown to improve red blood cell membrane fluidity and prevent oxidative stress-induced hemolysis [Sivonova et al., 2004]. In conclusion, Pycnogenol® will contribute to better blood flow and oxygenation of muscle.
Pycnogenol® extends antioxidant protection
On a cellular level of muscle tissue, the mitochondria perform at peak levels to meet the excess energy demand. In parallel to the dramatically elevated processing of nutrients with oxygen, the number of free radicals generated as by-products increases accordingly. The oxidative stress has been described to affect muscle tissue and even rupture muscle cells as remnants were detected in the blood stream. Pycnogenol® is one of the most potent antioxidants [Chida et al., 1999] and was demonstrated to increase the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of the blood of humans supplemented with Pycnogenol® by 40% [Devaraj et al., 2002]. Thus, Pycnogenol® will significantly extend the antioxidant network in a performing athlete.
Strengthening of blood vessel and supportof tissue recuperation
More than 17 clinical trials have equivocally described a strengthening of capillary walls in response to supplementation with Pycnogenol®. Pycnogenol® was shown to strengthen veins as well as micro-vessels to prevent swellings (edema), micro-bleedings and hemorrhages [Rohdewald, 2002]. Moreover, Pycnogenol® was demonstrated in controlled clinical trials to speed up the healing of harmed tissue [Belcaro et al., 2005]. Thus, Pycnogenol® will significantly support recuperation and may be particularly beneficial for contact sports such as Football, Wrestling, Rugby or Ice Hockey.
Pycnogenol® alleviates cramping and muscular pain
Cramping and painful muscles affect essentially every athlete, and may occur during exercise as well as hours later during the recovery phase. Inadequate conditioning and stretching of the body are commonly understood to cause muscle cramps. Proper hydration with electrolytes potassium and magnesium is known to be important particularly during sports carried out in warm weather. Cramping and painful muscles are increasingly understood to result from blood circulation reaching its limits in supporting the performing muscle with the necessary oxygen, nutrients, hydration and electrolytes.
Because Pycnogenol® elevates blood supply to tissues a placebo-controlled clinical study with 66 healthy recreational sports people was carried out to investigate benefits for reducing muscle cramping incidence and muscular pain during and after intensive exercise [Vinciguerra et al., 2006].
The effect of Pycnogenol® was evaluated with subjects
daily recording their episodes of cramps and muscular
pain at rest and during exercise. The pain level was documented on a visual analogue scale ranging from
“total absence of pain” (= 0) to maximum unbearable
pain (=10). The baseline values were established
during a two-week pre-treatment phase. Over a period
of four weeks patients took either Pycnogenol® or
placebo and thereafter pain level and cramping episodes
were estimated again. One week after patients
had stopped taking supplementation the effect on
muscles was estimated again to find out whether the
benefits of Pycnogenol® lasted or a relapse occurred.
Subjects were advised to drink at least 1.5 liters of
water each day to exclude that insufficient hydration
can be made responsible for muscle cramps
Scores for the severity of cramping pain were lowered significantly in both athletes as well as recreational sports people to 13 % and 25% or pre-treatment values, respectively, following 4 weeks treatment with Pycnogenol®. After discontinuation of Pycnogenol® intake for a week a minor and statistically insignificant increase of cramping pain scores was observed. The group healthy recreational subjects experienced a lowered frequency of muscle cramps during exercise and during the recovery phase, which decreased from an average 4.8 incidents per week at baseline to 1.3 after 4 weeks supplementation with Pycnogenol®. The group of athletes showed a higher rate of muscle cramps at trial start with an average of 8.6 episodes a week. The frequency of cramp episodes decreased to average 2.4 a week with Pycnogenol®. After discontinuation of Pycnogenol® supplementation for a week the average cramping frequency in all three groups did not increase again suggesting a lasting effect of Pycnogenol®.
The researchers conclude that Pycnogenol® is effective
for reducing pain and cramps in training and
re-training, thus increasing the efficiency of training
programs both in normal subjects as well as in competitive
athletes.
Pycnogenol® enhanced sports endurance
Cramping and painful muscles affect essentially every A possible benefit of Pycnogenol® for sports endurance was investigated by Dr. Paul Pavlovic at the California State University, Chico [Pavlovic, 1999]. Recreational athletes were supplemented with either Pycnog
enol® or placebo for 30 days and were then crossed over to the other group for further 30 days (Double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study design). Athletes were performing under controlled conditions on a treadmill with individual setting adjusted to 85% of a person’s maximal oxygen consumption to prevent too rapid exhaustion and reduceanaerobic metabolism. Subjects carried head-gears to monitor respiration. The outcome of the study showed a statistical significant increase of endurance of athletes while taking Pycnogenol® as compared to endurance recorded while on placebo.
Conclusion
The experience from several clinical trials suggest that Pycnogenol® is effective in protecting the musclefrom harm during sports, enhancing performance, speeding up the recovery, and allowing for faster retraining. Supplements such as Pycnogenol® which provide a practical way to meet goals of sports nutrition, are among the most valuable special products available to athletes.
References
- Belcaro G et al. Venous ulcers: microcirculatory improvement and faster healing with local use of Pycnogenol®. Angiology 56: 699-705, 2005.
- Chida M et al. In vitro testing of antioxidants and biochemical end-point in bovine retinal tissue. Ophthalmic Res 31: 407-415, 1999.
- Devaraj S et al. Supplementation with a pine bark extract rich in polyphenols increases plasma antioxidant capacity and alters the plasma lipoprotein profile. Lipids 37: 931-934, 2002.
- Fitzpatrick DF et al. Endothelium-dependent vascular effects of Pycnogenol®. J Cardiovas Pharmacol 32: 509-515, 1998.
- Kohama T. Clinical applications of Pycnogenol® in Japan. Prog Med 24: 1503-1510, 2004. Pavlovic P. Improved endurance by use of antioxidants. Eur Bull Drug Res 7(2): 26-29, 1999.
- Rohdewald P. A review of the French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol®), a herbal medication with a diverse pharmacology. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 40: 158-168, 2002.
- Sivonova M et al. The effect of Pycnogenol® on the erythrocyte membrane fluidity. Gen Physiol Biophys 23: 39-51, 2004.
- Vinciguerra G et al. Cramps and muscular pain: prevention with Pycnogenol® in normal subjects, venous patients, athletes, claudicants and in diabetic microangiopathy. Angiology 57: 331-339, 2006.
- Wang S et al. The effect of Pycnogenol® on the microcirculation, platelet function and ischemic myocardium in patients with coronary artery diseases. Eur Bull Drug Res 7(2): 19-25, 1999.