By A. Tirla, Simona Cavalu et al.

With a high number of athletes using sport supplements targeting different results, the need for complex, natural and effective formulations represents an actual reality, while nutrition dosing regimens aiming to sustain the health and performance of athletes are always challenging. In this context, the main goal of this study was to elaborate a novel and complex nutraceutical supplement based on multiple bioactive compounds extracted from Aronia melanocarpa and bee pollen, aiming to support physiological adaptations and to minimize the stress generated by intense physical activity in the case of professional or amateur athletes. Our proposed formulations are based on different combinations of Aronia and bee pollen (A1:P1, A1:P2 and A2:P1), offering personalized supplements designed to fulfill the individual requirements of different categories of athletes. The approximate composition, fatty acid profile, identification and quantification of individual polyphenols, along with the antioxidant capacity of raw biological materials and different formulations, was performed using spectrophotometric methods, GS-MS and HPLC-DAD-MS-ESI+. In terms of antioxidant capacity, our formulations based on different ratios of bee pollen and Aronia were able to act as complex and powerful antioxidant products, highlighted by the synergic or additional effect of the combinations. Overall, the most powerful synergism was obtained for the A1:P2 formulation. Copyright Simona Cavalu et al.

The unique combination of Aronia melanocarpa and bee pollen might provide the elements for a personalized sport diet tailored to a particular individual’s requirements. The individualization of supplementation is possible according to each specific sport activity. A better capacity of the organism to cope with intense and repeated training sessions could be sustained via supplementation with the different formulations proposed in our study. The maximum synergism in terms of the antioxidant effect of Aronia melanocarpa in combination with bee pollen was demonstrated for the formulation A1:P2. Further clinical studies are necessary to prove the performances of these formulations in vivo and to monitor possible adverse effects. Copyright Simona Cavalu et al.

Full text at https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/28/19/6944#