New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract in Sports Nutrition: Mechanisms and Performance Benefits

1. Introduction

With the rapid advancement of sports science and sports nutrition, athletes and fitness enthusiasts are placing increasing emphasis on the role of natural nutritional supplements in enhancing athletic performance, facilitating recovery, and improving overall health. Prolonged high-intensity training or competition tends to induce exercise fatigue, elevated oxidative stress, and muscle damage, which in turn limit athletic performance and training efficacy. Consequently, the search for nutritional intervention methods that possess natural biological activity, can alleviate exercise fatigue and promote post-exercise recovery has become a research focus. New Zealand Blackcurrant (NZBC) has attracted extensive attention due to its rich content of anthocyanins and polyphenolic compounds. Recent studies have indicated that NZBC holds potential benefits in areas such as improving exercise endurance, regulating exercise metabolism, reducing muscle fatigue, and accelerating recovery. This article aims to systematically summarize the research progress of NZBC in the field of sports nutrition, including its composition and biological activities, mechanisms of action, safety profile, relevant research evidence, and future research directions.

Keywords: New Zealand blackcurrant; anthocyanins; exercise nutrition; fatigue; endurance; recovery.

2. Overview of NZBC

New Zealand blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) is a berry-producing plant primarily distributed in the South Island of New Zealand and parts of Europe. Its fruits, ranging from deep purple to nearly black, are plump and glossy. Thanks to its unique growing environment, the plant naturally abounds in various antioxidants. As a natural food ingredient and nutritional supplement with functional properties, NZBC has gained increasing attention in the field of sports nutrition in recent years. On one hand, its plant-derived natural properties ensure safety, avoiding potential risks that may be associated with chemically synthesized components. On the other hand, the anthocyanin content in its fruits is much higher than that in common berries such as blueberries and strawberries, laying a solid foundation for its antioxidant efficacy. More importantly, studies have confirmed that NZBC is not limited to antioxidant effects; it also possesses multiple biological activities such as anti-inflammatory properties, regulation of bodily blood flow, and optimization of energy metabolism. These characteristics enable it to exhibit broad application prospects in the field of sports nutrition, particularly in enhancing athletic performance and promoting physical recovery.

3. Nutritional Components and Biological Activities of NZBC

NZBC is rich in various bioactive components, with its main active substances including anthocyanins, polyphenolic compounds, as well as multiple vitamins and minerals. As one of the most important active components in NZBC, anthocyanins possess strong antioxidant capacity, which can effectively neutralize free radicals and reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress, thereby protecting muscle cells and vascular endothelial cells from damage. Polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, exhibit significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. They can also improve blood circulation, alleviate post-exercise muscle inflammation, and enhance exercise endurance and recovery speed. In addition, NZBC is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin E, and minerals such as potassium and calcium. These nutrients play important roles in regulating immune function, mitigating oxidative damage, and maintaining neuromuscular function.Overall, through multiple mechanisms such as antioxidation, anti-inflammation, improvement of energy metabolism, and promotion of blood circulation, NZBC can not only reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress and muscle damage but also increase fat oxidation and delay glycogen depletion, thereby effectively enhancing exercise endurance and post-exercise recovery efficiency.

4. Anti-Fatigue Mechanisms of NZBC

4.1 Antioxidant Mechanism

High-intensity or prolonged exercise leads to excessive production of free radicals in the body, elevating oxidative stress levels, which in turn damages muscle cells, vascular endothelium, and mitochondrial function. NZBC is rich in anthocyanins, which possess potent antioxidant activity. These compounds can effectively scavenge excess free radicals, reducing the damage caused by reactive oxygen species to muscle tissues and vascular endothelium. Furthermore, anthocyanins can enhance the activity of the endogenous antioxidant enzyme system (such as SOD and GPx), thereby reducing oxidative stress at the molecular level and alleviating exercise-induced fatigue and damage.

4.2 Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism

Exercise, particularly high-intensity or repetitive exercise, is often accompanied by muscle microdamage and inflammatory responses, manifested as muscle soreness, stiffness, and reduced function. The polyphenolic compounds in NZBC can regulate inflammatory signaling pathways, significantly downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α, IL-6) while potentially increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory factors (e.g., IL-10). This helps alleviate muscle inflammation, promote the repair of damaged muscle fibers, and accelerate post-exercise recovery.

4.3 Improvement of Energy Metabolism

NZBC intake can regulate energy metabolism patterns by increasing the proportion of fat oxidation during exercise and reducing reliance on glycogen, thereby delaying the onset of fatigue caused by glycogen depletion. Additionally, anthocyanins and polyphenolic components may enhance energy utilization efficiency by influencing mitochondrial function and the activity of enzymes related to fatty acid metabolism. This enables athletes to maintain a state of high efficiency for longer durations during endurance exercise while reducing the accumulation of post-exercise fatigue.

4.4 Regulation of Hemodynamics

The bioactive components in NZBC exhibit vasodilatory effects and improve microcirculation, which can increase muscle blood perfusion during exercise and optimize the delivery of oxygen and nutrients. This not only helps maintain muscle function during exercise but also promotes the clearance of lactic acid and metabolic waste, thereby enhancing athletic performance and accelerating post-exercise recovery. Furthermore, improved blood flow may reduce exercise-related cardiovascular strain, enhancing overall exercise safety.

4.5 Neuromuscular Regulation

Anthocyanins may also indirectly enhance athletic performance by improving neuromuscular coordination and increasing the precision and efficiency of motor movements. Meanwhile, their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties can alleviate post-exercise muscle soreness and fatigue, helping exercisers maintain sustained motivation and movement quality during prolonged endurance exercise. This neuromuscular regulatory effect is particularly evident in endurance events, holding potential value for improving exercise efficiency and reducing the risk of injury.

5. Safety Assessment of NZBC

Multiple studies have demonstrated that NZBC exhibits favorable safety profiles when administered at recommended doses. The general recommended intake is standardized to an anthocyanin content of approximately 105–300 mg per day. Within this dosage range, most studies have reported no significant adverse effects. Even with long-term use (e.g., continuous administration for 12 days or longer), NZBC has shown good tolerability and safety. However, due to individual variations, individuals with anthocyanin allergies or specific medical conditions should exercise caution and consult healthcare professionals before use. Overall, as a naturally derived sports nutrition supplement, NZBC is both effective and safe, offering a reliable nutritional intervention option for athletes and healthy populations alike.

6. Scientific Evidence for the Sports Nutritional Value of NZBC

6.1 Endurance Exercise Performance

Numerous studies have shown that endurance athletes experience significant improvements in exercise performance after NZBC supplementation. For instance, in a 16.1-kilometer endurance cycling time trial, athletes supplemented with NZBC achieved significantly shorter completion times, accompanied by increased oxygen utilization in the blood and reduced lactic acid accumulation during exercise. This indicates that NZBC not only enhances aerobic capacity but also delays the onset of fatigue, thereby helping athletes maintain a high level of performance during prolonged endurance training or competitions.

6.2 High-Intensity Interval Exercise

NZBC supplementation has also demonstrated positive effects in repeated sprinting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Research suggests that NZBC intake can improve exercise output under consecutive high-intensity loads. This may be related to NZBC’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which reduce the accumulation of free radicals and muscle microdamage during exercise, thereby maintaining exercise capacity and enabling rapid recovery of exercise intensity.

6.3 Muscle Recovery

NZBC has shown potential advantages in post-exercise muscle repair. Supplementation with NZBC can alleviate post-exercise delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and promote the recovery and repair of muscle tissue. This not only helps improve the sustainability of training frequency but also reduces the risk of athletes lowering training intensity or interrupting training due to muscle pain, thereby optimizing training outcomes.

6.4 Metabolism and Fat Oxidation

In terms of exercise metabolism, NZBC can improve energy utilization patterns by increasing the proportion of fat oxidation during exercise and reducing reliance on glycogen. By delaying glycogen depletion and reducing lactic acid accumulation, NZBC helps exercisers delay the onset of fatigue and maintain endurance levels during prolonged exercise. Furthermore, this metabolic regulatory effect is particularly important for endurance sports and long-duration energy-consuming activities, contributing to the sustainability and efficiency of exercise performance.

6.5 Improvements in Blood Pressure and Blood Flow

Some studies indicate that NZBC also has the potential to regulate hemodynamics. After exercise, NZBC supplementation can promote vasodilation, improve vascular diastolic function, and help reduce post-exercise blood pressure. This improved blood flow not only optimizes the transport of oxygen and nutrients but also supports muscle repair and post-exercise recovery, thereby enhancing overall exercise adaptability.

7. Conclusion and Future Perspectives

NZBC, as a natural functional food ingredient, has demonstrated significant application potential in the field of sports nutrition. Studies have shown that NZBC can effectively alleviate exercise-induced fatigue through its prominent antioxidant effects and regulation of energy metabolism. Additionally, it enhances fat oxidation and improves blood circulation, thereby boosting endurance performance. Furthermore, NZBC alleviates post-exercise muscle damage and inflammation, contributing to accelerated bodily recovery. However, existing research has certain limitations: most studies involve small sample sizes and short research durations; the study populations are primarily young, healthy athletes or fitness enthusiasts, lacking systematic evaluations across different genders, age groups, and health statuses; the optimal dosage, supplementation duration, and long-term safety require further verification; moreover, its specific mechanisms of action—particularly in neuromuscular regulation and metabolic signaling pathways—remain incompletely understood. Future research should focus on conducting large-sample, multi-center clinical trials to validate the sports nutritional effects of NZBC, exploring the safety and potential side effects of long-term use, and leveraging metabolomics and molecular biology approaches to deeply elucidate its mechanisms of action. Additionally, evaluating its synergistic effects with other sports nutrition supplements and personalized nutrition strategies is warranted. In summary, as a natural, multifunctional plant extract, NZBC holds broad application prospects in sports nutrition, offering a safe and effective natural option for anti-fatigue and endurance enhancement among athletes and healthy populations.

Reference

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