A study conducted by Anglia Ruskin University revealed that olive fruit water, a by-product of olive oil production, can have antioxidant benefits and support exercise performance. The researchers found that consumption of OliPhenolia, a commercially available olive fruit water product, improved respiratory parameters, oxygen consumption, running economy, and acute recovery in recreationally active participants.
This research is the first of its kind to investigate the exercise benefits of consuming olive fruit water.
According to recent findings, a natural by-product of olive oil production can provide antioxidant benefits and enhance physical exercise.
The study published in the journal Nutrients Led by nutritionists at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), is the first to study the benefits of natural olive fruit water for individuals engaged in recreational physical activity.
Olive fruit water is a waste product derived from olive oil production. Olives contain polyphenols that have antioxidant properties, and a commercially available olive fruit water product, called OliPhenolia, contains a number of phenolic compounds and is particularly rich in hydroxytyrosol.
The first study on its potential benefits for people who exercise involved 29 recreationally active participants who took either OliPhenolia or a placebo, matched in taste and appearance, over 16 consecutive days, and found positive effects on several key markers of running performance.
OliPhenolia consumption improved respiratory parameters at the start of exercise as well as oxygen consumption and economy running at lower levels of intensity (lactate threshold 1).
Respiratory parameters were not affected at a higher intensity (lactate threshold 2) to a greater extent, but perceived exertion—how hard participants thought their bodies thought their bodies were working—was improved, as was acute recovery after additional exercise.
Lead author Dr Justin Roberts, Associate Professor of Health and Nutrition at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) said: “I have long been interested in the benefits of exercise polyphenols, such as those derived from cherries and beets. To get similar benefits from olives, you need to consume large amounts daily. , which isn’t realistic, so we made sure to test concentrated olive fruit water.
“Like olive oil, it contains hydroxytyrosol, but this olive fruit water is a sustainable by-product. It’s usually discarded during olive oil production, and we found a company in Italy — Fattoria La Vialla, a biodynamic farm in Tuscany — that decided to convert this wastewater into Dietary supplement.
Our study is the first to look at the use of this olive fruit water in an exercise setting and we found that 16 days of supplementation can have a positive effect on aerobic exercise, most notably at submaximal levels.
“We found that the lower oxygen cost and improved economy of running, combined with improvements in acute recovery, suggest that it is likely to benefit those who do regular aerobic exercise.
“We now intend to conduct further research at Anglia Ruskin University to confirm these findings. We are also looking forward to investigating whether this product can be used in marathon training and recovery, as well as testing its effectiveness in suppressing exercise-related inflammation.”
Reference: “Effect of a hydroxytyrosol-rich plant compound derived from olives on aerobic exercise and acute recovery” by Justin D. Roberts and Joseph B. Zakka and Ashley JB Wilmott Nutrients.
DOI: 10.3390/nu15020421
The research was funded by Fattoria La Vialla, Arezzo, Italy. The funders had no role in the design of this peer-reviewed study; in collecting, analyzing or interpreting data; in writing the manuscript. or in the decision to publish the results.