Acute Impact of Polyphenol-Rich vs. Carbohydrate-Rich Foods and Beverages on Exercise-Induced ROS and FRAP in Healthy Sedentary Female Adults-A Randomized Controlled Trial

Autor(en)

Markus Gassner, Laura Bragagna, Helia Heidari Dasht Bayaz, Caroline Stumpf-Knaus, Laura Schlosser, Julia Lemberg, Julia Brem, Marc Pignitter, Matthias Strauss, Karl-Heinz Wagner, Daniel König, Caroline Susanne Knaus

Abstrakt

Polyphenols and carbohydrates may modulate exercise-induced oxidative stress through distinct mechanisms: polyphenols via antioxidative properties, and carbohydrates via improved rapidly available energy supply. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared the acute effects of polyphenol-rich foods (pomegranate juice, blueberries), carbohydrate-rich foods (whole-grain bread, bread roll) and water control on HIIT-induced changes in ROS and FRAP in thirty healthy females. We conducted an RCT with two parallel intervention cohorts (study arm one: blueberries, whole-grain bread, bread roll, water (control); study arm two: pomegranate juice, water (control)), in which participants completed single-dose intervention days following 12 h fasting. On each intervention day, ROS and FRAP were assessed at baseline, pre-HIIT, post-HIIT and after 15 min recovery. Carbohydrate intake significantly reduced FRAP elevations (-2.16% (p < 0.05)) vs. polyphenols (-2.49% vs. water (p < 0.01) from pre-HIIT to post-HIIT). Furthermore, carbohydrate intake showed a tendency toward attenuating the exercise-induced increase in ROS (-7.75%, p = 0.095, vs. polyphenols from pre-HIIT to post-HIIT), although this did not reach statistical significance. Polyphenol-rich foods accelerated ROS reduction during the 15 min recovery phase (-8.22% (p < 0.01) vs. carbohydrates). No significant differences compared to water were observed from pre-HIIT to post-HIIT (polyphenols: p > 0.05; carbohydrates: p > 0.05) or from post-HIIT to 15 min post-HIIT (polyphenols: p > 0.05; carbohydrates: p > 0.05), which could be expected under fasted HIIT conditions. Overall, carbohydrates mitigated oxidative stress during exercise, whereas polyphenol-rich foods supported short-term post-exercise recovery.

Organisation(en)

Department für Ernährungswissenschaften, Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Institut für Sport- und Bewegungswissenschaft

Externe Organisation(en)

Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences (PhaNuSpo), Universität Wien

Journal

Antioxidants

Band

14

ISSN

2076-3921

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14121481

Publikationsdatum

12-2025

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

303009 Ernährungswissenschaften, 104009 Lebensmittelchemie, 106002 Biochemie

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Food Science, Physiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Clinical Biochemistry, Cell Biology

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/693aa87e-f446-4b78-b6c8-cda6e9f27e5b