None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Although the benefits of exercise to physical and mental health is well recognised, oxidative stress from sustained moderate and intense exercise has been associated to a weakened immune response and muscle damage . Studies have demonstrated that integrating the consumption of anthocyanin rich functional foods prior to exercise facilitates the management of oxidative stress thereby promoting exercise performance and aiding recovery from fatigue and muscle damage. Anthocyanins are generally unstable at high temperature, under intense light, and in the presence of oxygen. Furthermore, proprietary studies conducted by our group have demonstrated changes in anthocyanin content and form in juice format during long-term storage at room temperature while antioxidant capacity is maintained. Therefore, processing and storage conditions (temperature and time) are critical considerations to ensure the delivery of the appropriate dose of anthocyanins to confer any health benefit, such as managing exercise-induced oxidative stress, from consuming anthocyanin-rich functional food products. In this study, we seek to examine the effects of long-term storage of a pasteurised blackcurrant juice on the bioavailability of anthocyanins in human blood plasma. Furthermore, we also aim to determine the efficacy of pasteurised blackcurrant juice in managing exercise-induced oxidative stress and whether this effect is modified following long-term storage when the juice anthocyanin and phenolic content has significantly changed.
Interventions
This is a double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel design intervention study that will allow us to evaluate whether long term storage affects the ability of blackcurrant juice to manage exercise-induced oxidative stress. Prospective participants who have passed the study's inclusion/exclusion criteria will be asked to attend a familiarisation session where they will meet with the study’s principal investigator. During this session, the study’s principal investigator (research scientist, PhD) w
This is a double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel design intervention study that will allow us to evaluate whether long term storage affects the ability of blackcurrant juice to manage exercise-induced oxidative stress. Prospective participants who have passed the study's inclusion/exclusion criteria will be asked to attend a familiarisation session where they will meet with the study’s principal investigator. During this session, the study’s principal investigator (research scientist, PhD) will introduced them to the subjective scales and questionnaire that they will be asked to respond to during the trial days. Participants will also be asked to perform a high intensity cycle exercise test to estimate their maximal aerobic capacity that will allow us to estimate the intensity of the exercise relative to their fitness level that they will be required to perform on the trail days. Participants recruited to this study will be randomised into two treatment groups: (1) Blackcurrant group and (2) Placebo group. On the first trial day, co-investigators of this study will give participants a volume of ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed blackcurrant juice to consume. The volume of juice that participants will consume will contain a dose of anthocyanins relative to their bodyweights (3.2 mg anthocyanins/kg bodyweight). The exact volume of blackcurrant juice that participants will be asked to consume will be determined by the anthocyanin content in our batch of blackcurrant juice post UHT processing, which will be determined in-house. Those allocated to the Placebo treatment group will be asked to consume a drink containing the equivalent sugar (glucose, fructose and sucrose) present in the blackcurrant dose employed in this study. After quickly consuming their allocated treatment drinks (within 2 minutes), participants will be asked to sit in the waiting room provided in the clinical facility and refrain from any exercise for 1 hr. Following this, participants will be asked to perform a 30 minute cycle exercise relative to 65% of their maximal aerobic capacity. At the end of the exercise, participants will be required to rest for 30 min in the waiting room during which their recovery from the exercise will be monitored. The principal investigator of this study will be instructing all participants of what is required of them on their main trial day. Following a period of long term storage, all recruited participants will be required to return to complete a second trial day. Each participant will be given the same volume of blackcurrant juice and placebo drink that they consumed during their initial trial day and also required to undergo the same exercise and trial procedures that they performed on their first trial day. We aim to run the second trial day at a storage timepoint which is pertinent to the market practice and when we have data demonstrating any changes in the levels of anthocyanins in our batch of blackcurrant juice. To help determine this timepoint, we will be measuring the anthocyanin levels in our juice weekly for the first six weeks post-processing, then every month subsequently for up to 12 months post UHT processing. This information will be relayed to our industry partner who will advise on a storage timepoint to start the next second trial day based on their industry practice and commercial viability. Therefore, we cannot yet give a definitive date for the second trial day nor can we provide a determinant for when start the second trial day as we do not know the effect of storage on the concentration of anthocyanins in our batch of pasteurised juice.
Sponsors
Dr. Jocelyn Eason
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Healthy individuals who are not involved in any exercise training regime and can complete the physical requirements of the exercises (determined from the familiarisation day) will be selected for this study. Participants will be required to complete a health questionnaire and provide written consent for this study.
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded if they are unwilling or unable to provide informed written consent or comply with the study procedures. Participants will also be excluded if they have (i) known hypersensitivity or intolerance to blackcurrants or berry fruit-derived products, (ii) have health conditions that impair their ability to perform the exercises or may be aggravated by the exercises in this study (e.g. injury, hernia, back or joint pain, cardiovascular and breathing problems), (iii) have a Sports Index score of 4.5 or greater as assessed by a Baecke habitual physical activity questionnaire, (iv) or are unable to perform the exercises to the standard required by the trial coordinator during the familiarisation session. In addition, participants will be excluded if they are pregnant, planning to get pregnant in the near future or have any of the following conditions: (i) blood borne diseases (e.g. hepatitis), (ii) clinically diagnosed high/low blood pressure, (iii) recent bacterial or viral illness or (iv) are taking medication that affects the properties of blood (e.g. blood clotting).
Outcome results
None listed