Quercetin phytosome® in triathlon athletes: a pilot registry study

BACKGROUND Oxidative stress is associated with delayed recovery and higher risk of post-training pain in triathlon athletes. Therefore, supplementation with antioxidant compounds may have a role in enhancing recovery. Quercetin presents marked antioxidant activity. In this pilot registry study, we evaluated the effects of the supplementation with a novel proprietary delivery form (phytosome®) of quercetin in amateur triathlon athletes. METHODS We employed a specific study model of triathlon according to the "Sprint" distance. The individual triathlon training included repetition of the run 8 times in 14 days. A group of athletes used quercetin phytosome® supplementation (one tablet of 250 mg quercetin phytosome® twice daily). A control group did not use supplementation. All subjects attended a baseline measurement run and a second final measurement run at day 14. At the end of the study, subjective performance, post-training pain, cramps, time to full recovery and oxidative stress were measured. RESULTS In total, 23 subjects used the supplement and 25 did not. No side effects were reported. The improvement of time to complete the run was greater in subjects on quercetin supplementation compared with the control group (-11.3% vs. -3.9%; P