Montmorency cherry supplementation enhances 15 km cycling time trial performance: Optimal timing 90-min pre-exercise

Jimmy T Wangdi; Mary F O'Leary; Vincent G Kelly; Jonathan C Y Tang; Joanna L Bowtell

doi:10.1002/ejsc.12187

Montmorency cherry supplementation enhances 15 km cycling time trial performance: Optimal timing 90-min pre-exercise

Eur J Sport Sci. 2024 Aug 30. doi: 10.1002/ejsc.12187. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jimmy T Wangdi^{1

2}, Mary F O'Leary¹, Vincent G Kelly³, Jonathan C Y Tang^{4

5}, Joanna L Bowtell¹

Affiliations

¹ BioActivEx, Public Health and Sport Sciences, St Luke's Campus, University of Exeter Medical School, Devon, UK.
² School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
³ School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁴ Bioanalytical Facility, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
⁵ Clinical Biochemistry, Departments of Laboratory Medicine, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK.

PMID: 39213288
DOI: 10.1002/ejsc.12187

Abstract

Montmorency cherry (MC) can improve endurance performance, but optimal pre-exercise timing of supplementation and influence of training status on efficacy are unknown. We investigated the effect of MC concentrate ingestion between 30- and 150-min pre-exercise in trained and recreational cyclists on 15-km time trial (TT) performance and exercise economy. Twenty participants (10 recreationally active, RA; 10 trained, T) completed 10 min of steady-state exercise (SSE) at 40%Δ (SSE) and a TT on four separate occasions following an unsupplemented (US), 30-, 90- or 150-min pre-exercise Montmorency cherry concentrate (MCC) supplementation conditions (MCC^30/90/150min). Venous and capillary blood samples were taken at regular intervals pre- and post-SSE and TT. MCC significantly improved TT performance, but not exercise economy. The greatest improvement in performance occurred following MCC^90min compared to US (US 1603.1 ± 248 s vs. MCC^90min 1554.8 ± 226.7 s, 2.83% performance improvement). Performance was significantly enhanced for trained (US 1496.6 ± 173.1 s vs. MCC^90min 1466.8 ± 157.6 s) but not recreationally active participants. Capillary [lactate] and heart rate were significantly greater during the TT for the 90-min dose timing (p < 0.05). In the MCC^30min and MCC^90min conditions, plasma ferulic (US 8.71 ± 3.22 nmol. L^-1 vs. MCC^30min 15.80 ± 8.69 nmol. L^-1, MCC^90min 12.65 ± 4.84 nmol. L^-1) and vanillic acid (US 25.14 ± 10.91 nmol.L^-1 vs. MCC^30min 153.07 ± 85.91 nmol. L^-1, MCC^90min 164.58 ± 59.06 nmol. L^-1) were significantly higher pre-exercise than in US and MCC^150min conditions (p < 0.05). There was no significant change in muscle oxygenation status or plasma nitrite/nitrate concentration. MCC supplementation enhanced endurance exercise performance optimally when consumed ∼90 min pre-exercise producing maximal plasma phenolic metabolites during exercise. The ergogenic effect was greater for trained participants.

Keywords: Montmorency cherry; endurance exercise; nitric oxide; time trial; training status.

Grants and funding

QUEX Institute PhD Funding