Pycnogenol Shown to Lower Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress

Exercise can increase oxidative stress levels and lead to post-exercise muscle cramping. A new study has found that Pycnogenol, the French maritime pine bark extract, may help reduce oxidative stress after exercise.

Twenty healthy young males participated in the study. They
consumed either 200 mg per day of Pycnogenol or a placebo for 14 days before
and 2 days after an exercise test. After a 7-day washout period they switched
interventions. A blood sample was taken before the exercise test and 1 hour
after the exercise test. The participants were tested for measures of muscle
pain in the lower pain 24 and 48 hours after the exercise test.

Levels of malonaldehyde (MDA) decreased significantly in the
Pycnogenol group, compared to the placebo. MDA levels increased in the placebo
group from pre-exercise to post-exercise. MDA is a marker of oxidative stress.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Louisiana
at Lafayette. It was published online ahead of print on March 19, 2019 in the Journal
of Dietary Supplements.