Quercetin Increases VO2max, Endurance

Quercetin is a plant nutrient in the “flavanoid” class that functions as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and stimulus for mitochondrial biogenesis in the human body. Researchers at the University of South Carolina recently investigated whether quercetin supplementation increases maximal aerobic capacity and endurance in untrained subjects. Twelve subjects received either 1000 mg of quercetin daily or placebo for seven days. All subjects performed indoor cycling tests before and after the supplementation period. The whole study design was then repeated with the treatments reversed. On average, the subjects exhibited a 3.9 percent increase in VO2max and a 13.2 percent increase in time to exhaustion after quercetin supplementation.

The authors of the study, which was published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, concluded, “These data suggest that as little as 7 days of quercetin supplementation can increase endurance without exercise training in untrained participants. These benefits of quercetin may have important implications for enhancement of athletic and military performance. This apparent increase in fitness without exercise training may have implications beyond that of performance enhancement to health promotion and disease prevention.”