A cup of this superfruit could help with weight loss during exercise, a study reveals
Do you want to become slimmer and fitter? Super fruit that could help discovered by scientists
- Eating a cup of blueberries a day can burn body fat, according to a new study
- Scientists say the antioxidant-rich berry can improve athletic performance
Blueberries may be the key to getting slimmer and fitter.
According to American researchers, eating the fruit helps improve athletic performance and burn body fat.
They found that eating 25 grams of freeze-dried blueberries per day, which is equivalent to eating about a cup of the fruit in its natural form, prompted the body to burn more fat during exercise.
In addition to making you slimmer, they can also help your muscles conserve their scarce stores of glycogen – the body’s main source of energy.
This means that the fruit can theoretically help you train longer and even perform better.
Blueberries are known to be high in antioxidants called anthocyanins, which give them their deep purple hue. Found in other dark, red or purple berries, the darker the fruit, the more antioxidant it contains
During exercise, the body breaks down fatty acids for energy, a process known as fat oxidation.
But as a workout gets more intense, the rate of fat oxidation slows and no longer provides enough fuel – forcing the body to turn to its glycogen stores, which are made up of carbohydrates.
However, as glycogen levels decrease, the body becomes more fatigued, which can limit exercise performance.
Blueberries contain high levels of antioxidants called anthocyanins, which give them their deep purple hue. Recent studies suggest that this compound may also increase fat oxidation.
So the team of scientists, based at California Polytechnic State University and Gonzago University’s Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, set out to determine whether a concentrated dose of blueberries could boost this process.
They recruited 11 healthy male cyclists, who were quizzed about their health and cycled moderately for 40 minutes, with the scientists taking blood samples with a finger prick every 10 minutes.
For two weeks, the athletes consumed 25 g of freeze-dried blueberry powder per day, which contained 375 g of anthocyanins.
They then did the same 40-minute cycle, during which their blood was drawn.
The tests showed that the fat oxidation rate increased by 19.7 percent after 20 minutes of exercise, 43.2 percent after 30 minutes and 31.1 percent after 40 minutes, meaning the volunteers burned more fat after eating the berries.
They also burned fewer carbohydrate stores of glycogen at each time point, according to the findings published in the journal Nutrients.
Their blood lactate levels — a sign of fatigue — were also found to be “significantly reduced,” the scientists said.
This suggests that their stamina has improved significantly.
The report stated: ‘This study was the first to investigate whether consumption of WB (wild blueberries) would increase [fat oxidation] rates during an exercise protocol aimed at maximizing fat oxidation using moderate-intensity exercise in healthy, trained men.
It added: ‘This new study documented that WB consumption increased over 14 days [fat oxidation]decreased [carbohydrate oxidation] and decreased plasma lactate levels during 40 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling.”