Our New Zealand blackcurrants contain rich anthocyanins, which increase vasodilation and cardiac output. Vasodilation is a physiological process that widens blood vessels and increases blood flow to areas of the body that are low on oxygen and nutrients.

Consuming these anthocyanins increases cardiac output and blood flow to working muscles. To summarise, when your muscles become oxygen deficient, more oxygen is supplied to your muscles which enables them to work for longer periods of time and perform better athletically.

Blackcurrant anthocyanins also help to speed up recovery by lowering blood lactate levels and decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress caused by exercise. As well as this, New Zealand blackcurrants help to mediate the positive effects of exercise on oxidative stress management, inflammation, and immune function by priming the body's master antioxidant regulator.

This activates your cells to begin priming them for the oxidative stress caused by exercise, as well as preparing your body to anticipate inflammation and prepare for recovery.

Advances in Nutrition. Physiology, Vasodilation. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island FL : StatPearls Publishing; Jan-. Foods and supplements high in anthocyanins are gaining popularity within sports nutrition.

Anthocyanins are pigments within berries and other colorful fruits and vegetables. They have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory actions that improve recovery from exercise. Furthermore, anthocyanins can also affect vasoactive properties, including decreasing mean arterial blood pressure and increasing vasodilation during exercise.

In vitro observations have shown anthocyanin- and metabolite-induced activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and human vascular cell migration. However, effects of anthocyanins on exercise performance without a prior muscle-damaging or metabolically demanding bout of exercise are less clear.

Location and climate also affect the anthocyanin content of berries and research has revealed that New Zealand blackcurrants have the highest bioavailable anthocyanin content.

Studies have observed increased blood flow due to vasodilation, increased femoral artery diameter, increased cardiac output and stroke volume, lowered blood pressure during muscle contraction, and muscles worked to the same intensity with less stress.

Rock climbing creates a high workload on the forearm flexors and increases reliance on blood flow during short recovery periods. A fascinating study Potter J. A et al. J Physiol. For athletic performance, supplementation is often more viable than trying to get the optimal dosage using fresh fruit.

Cook et al. showed that supplementation with a NZBC extract of mg per day for 7 days was optimal and if using fresh berries that would have required eating blackcurrants per day. A bit tricky for the gut!

A lower dose of mg for 7 days with a final dose hrs prior to an event is also adequate with less gastric stress reported. Researchers A. TART CHERRY JUICE. Tart cherry juice using Montmorency cherry cultivar, has been shown to aid recovery in both strength and endurance athletes.

Recovery is hugely important for athletes with high-load training schedules and for busy competition schedules. Tart cherry has also demonstrated benefits for improved sleep which is a vital component for all athletes.

Howatson G, et al Scand J Med Sci Sports concluded that tart cherry juice appears to provide a viable means to recovery following strenuous exercise by increasing total antioxidant capacity, reducing inflammation, lipid peroxidation and it may aid recovery of muscle function.

These researchers found that a cherry juice supplement did not prevent or protect against muscle damage, but rather, blunted the secondary muscle damage in response to inflammation.

Strenuous exercise is known to acutely generate oxidative stress and an inflammatory state. Lisa Mcanulty et al Applied Phys Nutr and Metabolism performed a study on whether eating g of blueberries per day for 6 weeks, and g given 1 hour prior to running 2.

The study concluded that Natural Killer NK cells count was increased and that oxidative stress was reduced and inflammatory cytokines were also reduced. In addition to their benefits in combating oxidative stress, anthocyanins play a role in improving blood circulation and reducing inflammation.

By eating red fruit regularly, you give yourself every chance to perform well, but also to recover more easily and prevent injuries. Among berries, blackberries and blackcurrants are the richest in anthocyanins. You can also find these pigments in flower petals, such as hibiscus sabdariffa or beetroot.

Here are 3 recipes for anthocyanin-rich drinks that will help you go the distance during your endurance events. Preparation: gently wash the red fruit and remove the stems. Add the lime juice and yoghurt, then blend. Preparation: simply mix the cranberry or pomegranate juice with sparkling water.

You can add a little honey or agave syrup if you want to sweeten this refreshing drink. Preparation: place the cherries and beets in a blender and blend until smooth. You can add a little water if necessary. Enjoy immediately! This antioxidant and vitamin-rich juice is perfect for post-workout recovery.

Discover other fruit juice recipes specially designed for athletes. Follow our Instagram for regular updates.

Yarahmadi M, Askari G, Kargarfard M, et al. The effect of anthocyanin supplementation on body composition, exercise performance and muscle damage indices in athletes. Int J Prev Med. Howatson, G. Improved Endurance Running Performance Following Haskap Berry Lonicera caerulea L.

Nutrients , 14, Fang J. Classification of fruits based on anthocyanin types and relevance to their health effects. doi: Epub May PMID: