engleski

Impact of two weeks pistachio supplementation on muscle recovery following downhill running

Pistachios are nutrient-dense tree nuts that elicit various health benefits. There is biological rationale that pistachios could enhance recovery from intense exercise. We hypothesised that 2 weeks of pistachio supplementation would reduce the magnitude of muscle damage in response to eccentric exercise and accelerate recovery. Twenty-four participants, (27±3.4 years), undertook this randomized parallel study and were assigned to a control group (A) following their usual diet without any interventions, or groups with 42.5 g of pistachios (B), or 85 g of pistachios (C) added daily to their diet for two weeks. Following the supplementation period participants evaluated their feeling of muscle soreness (VAS), and muscle performance was assessed via vertical jump (VJ) and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Downhill running (DR) was performed as a muscle damage exercise bout. Muscle performance tests were repeated 24, 48, and 72 hours post DR to evaluate pistachios’ impact on muscle recovery. VJ showed a decrease at 24 h post DR, but 72 h values were 0.4%, 1.9% and -0.4% of the baseline maximal jump height for A, B, and C, respectively. VAS showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in all monitored muscles 24 and 48 h post DR but decreased at 72h. The higher dose of pistachios seemed to contribute to a prolonged muscle soreness perception. MVC data were quite disparate and inconclusive. This study does not advocate the use of pistachios as a recovery food ; however, these preliminary results require further research for the final confirmation and better understanding.

pistachio, DOMS, muscle recovery, downhill running

nije evidentirano