Flavanol-rich Lychee Fruit Extract Benefits Young Athletes

Flavanol-rich Lychee Fruit Extract Benefits Young Athletes

Keywords:	INFLAMMATION, EXERCISE - Flavanols, Antioxidants
Reference:	"Supplementation with a Flavanol-rich Lychee Fruit Extract Influences the Inflammatory Status of Young Athletes," Nishizawa M, Hara T, et al, Phytother Res, 2011 Feb 25; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan. E-mail: nishizaw@sk.ritsumei.ac.jp ).
Summary:	In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 20 healthy, male, long-distance runners, supplementation with a flavanol-rich lychee fruit extract was found to be associated with significant improvements in the change in serum interleukin-6 levels between pre- and mid-training, as well as significant improvements in the change in transforming growth factor-beta, pre- and post- a 2-month training. The authors conclude, "These findings suggest that FRLFE supplementation may suppress inflammation or tissue damage caused by high-intensity exercise training."