New Sport Supplements Based on Aronia melanocarpa and Bee Pollen to Enhance Antioxidant Capacity and Nutritional Value

By A. Tirla, Simona Cavalu et al.

Designing New Sport Supplements. Copyright 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.

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FTIR spectra of dried Aronia fruits (a) and bee pollen (b) were recorded using an ATR accessory, along with the ultrastructural details captured via SEM.
Copyright Simona Cavalu et al.
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Experimental design: development of novel sport supplements based on Aronia melanocarpa (A) and bee pollen (P) at different ratios (A1:P1; A1:P2 and A2:P1, v/v). 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#

New Insight and Future Perspectives on Nutraceuticals for Improving Sports Performance of Combat Players: Focus on Natural Supplements, Importance and Advantages over Synthetic Ones

By A. Tirla, F. Islam, Md. R. Islam, Simona Ioana Vicas and Simona Cavalu

The aim of our work is to highlight nutritional requirements/nutritional assessment, the importance of daily dietary intake in combat players, which increasingly includes a broad range of sports nutrition supplements, and the roles of vitamins, minerals and proteins, combined with antioxidants and strength training, in muscular performance. The main nutrients required in the daily diet of combat players, the mechanisms of action, the main outcomes and possible side effects are summarized. Special attention is paid to natural supplements and their importance and advantages over synthetic ones, along with future trends of development. Copyright Simona Cavalu et al.

Vitamin and mineral classification. Copyright Simona Cavalu et al.
The impact of polyphenols on one’s health and the possibility of improving exercise performance. Copyright Simona Cavalu et al.

The Roles of Antioxidants and Strength Training in Muscular Performance

During exercise, the metabolism is accelerated, oxygen consumption is high and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases. In addition, after muscle contraction, phospholipase A2 is activated, which initiates a cascade of enzymes, resulting in the formation of ROS. On the one hand, exercise-induced ROS have negative effects, causing altered cellular structure and function and, consequently, muscle damage, immune dysfunction and fatigue. On the other hand, ROS formation after exercise can also have beneficial effects, such as stimulating glycogen resynthesis and reducing susceptibility to infection while initiating and promoting adaptative responses to training, thus enhancing athletic performance. Copyright Simona Cavalu et al.

Nanotechnological Tools for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods

The individualization of meals based on biometric data has become a significant trend in modern nutrition. This study has been spurred on by technological developments in various domains, including analytical instrumentation, biotechnology, computers and data processing . As a result, personalized dietary gadgets tailored to a particular individual’s requirements could be developed. Personalized diets could advise a person to eat more of certain food groups. On the other hand, several food and nutrition companies work on functional foods and beverages enhanced with specific nutrients or nutraceuticals. Many of these things will be dependent on colloidal delivery technologies, which can incorporate a range of bioactive compounds into foods and beverages. These individualized diets can be adapted to an individual’s needs in various ways, including combining multiple nutrients in a single delivery system or integrating multiple delivery systems containing different nutrients, as we will see later. However, there is presently no information on the appropriate type and concentration of various bioactive components
to distribute to specific individuals, which will have to be discovered when colloidal delivery systems are constructed. As a result, future research should consider this much broader perspective, including advanced development in designing nanostructures with new or significantly improved attributes for the implementation of novel nutraceuticals in sports nutrition. Copyright Simona Cavalu et al.

Full text at https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/17/8611