Antioxidants, including the vitamins and flavonoids found in natural sources such as citrus fruits, have long been sought out for their ability to modulate oxidative and inflammatory responses when used in high quantities. One such flavonoid, which was the subject of a recent clinical trial, is Hesperidin, a flavonone (class of flavonoid) extracted from oranges.
 
Hesperidin, which has both antioxidant and inflammatory-modulating properties, was the subject of a team of researchers in Spain who carried out a placebo-controlled human clinical trial on this particular flavonoid in a group of 40 amateur cyclists, to examine any effects that it would have on the athletes’ oxidation and inflammatory profiles, as well as their cycling performance. Previous studies have shown improved activity levels in animals administered Hesperidin, the authors of the study, which appeared in the journal Antioxidants, said.
 
Antioxidants, in addition to compounds which may reduce inflammation, are believed to effect exercise performance by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are thought to be detrimental to both muscle and mitochondrial function.
 
“With regards to exercise, it is known that almost 0.15% of the oxygen consumed is converted into ROS, which can be detrimental to muscle and mitochondrial function,” the authors wrote. “In sports physiology, it is hypothesized that rapid increases in ROS during intensive exercise may be a contributor to fatigue. Based on recent findings, a new theory proposes that antioxidant supplementation (vitamins A, C, E, thiols, ubiquinones, and flavonoids) may delay fatigue.”
 
The amateur cyclists involved in the study were broken down into two groups, one which took a placebo, and one which took a supplement containing 500 mg of Hesperidin daily for eight weeks. The participants of the study were then tested for sports performance with estimated functional threshold power tests, as well as a maximum power test, and researchers observed incremental improvements (3.2% and 2.7%, respectively, in these two groups), along with noted improvements in antioxidant and inflammatory status during the acute phase of post-exercise recovery.
 
“This modulation in antioxidant and inflammatory markers can help cyclists to improve their recovery after intense efforts or long exercise sessions that, due to their characteristics, led to an increase in inflammation and oxidative stress,” the authors concluded. “Unlike other polyphenols, 2S-hesperidin supplementation does not appear to interrupt adaptations produced by training in amateur cyclists, enhancing their performance.”