Pomegranate Juice May Help Ease Post-Workout Oxidative Stress

Elite athletes put major strain on their bodies in order to compete. A recent study suggests that supplementing with pomegranate juice may reduce oxidative stress and improve recovery time after intensive resistance training.

Participants in the study included nine elite male weightlifters who drank either 250 ml of pomegranate juice or a placebo drink three time daily four hours prior to a training session. That was followed by an additional 500 ml one hour before exercise.

The researchers took blood samples before the weightlifting sessions, three minutes after, and 48 hours after. They measured malondialdehyde as a biomarker for lipid peroxidation. They also measured biomarkers for enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant response.

After examining the data, the researchers found that the pomegranate juice was associated with a 12.5% increase in blood malondialdehyde and a 7.5% and 9% increase in the respective antioxidant response parameters. They also noted a 5.6% accelerated recovery kinetics for malondialdehyde and a 9.5% accelerated recovery kinetics for the enzymatic antioxidants.

Researchers from Sfax University in Tunisia conducted the study. It was published on July 29, 2017, in the journal Nutrients.

Pomegranates are packed with protective vitamins, and ongoing research is investigating their ability to improve heart health, reduce cholesterol, and reduce joint pain.