Summer time supplement

June 22, 2017 0 0

Even with the best preparation in the world the most seasoned athlete can still suffer from mild dehydration whilst training during the summer months.

Newly published research¹ has shown that quicker recovery from rehydration may come in the form of mixing a rather unusual supplement into your recovery drink…

Chlorella is a form of green algae, which can be harvested and dried to form a green supplement. The new research used a double-blind crossover study to look at the effect, in male athletes, of running on a treadmill in high heat and humidity until reaching a dehydration level of 3% loss in body weight. After they became dehydrated the athletes were given either a small (130ml) chlorella drink or a placebo drink, plus a regular sports drink. The athletes exercise performance was measured before dehydration and then 4, 24 and 48 hours after rehydration.

As expected, dehydration reduced the exercise performance in both groups, but it was found that the chlorella supplemented group were able to recover quicker and could exercise for significantly longer than the placebo group four hours after exercise.

When researchers looked at what might be causing the increased exercise performance in the chlorella group they found white blood cells and neutrophils numbers (a measure of inflammation, which can be caused acutely by exercise) in the Chlorella group were significantly lower than that of the control group, helping explain the observed phenomenon.

How to benefit from chlorella

Some of the most efficient chlorella products on the market come from Sun Chlorella, whose new DYNO®-Mill technology breaks down the cell walls of the algae (without the use of heat or chemicals which can reduce the quality of the chlorella) to ensure when you use either their granules or tablets you’re getting the most nutrients possible.

The granules can easily be added to smoothies or protein shakes, whilst the tablets offer a convenient alternative.

Available directly from www.sunchlorella.co.uk or health stores nationwide.

1) Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: May 2017 – Volume 49 – Issue 5S – p 930

The Effect Of Chlorella Supplementation On Exercise Performance And Inflammation-related Blood Cells After Dehydration. Lin, Chia-Pei1; Chi, Chung-Fu2; Xu, Ming-Fen1; Yu, Szu-Haien3