Short-Term Consumption of Low-Molecular Weight Polyphenols (Oligonol) May Attenuate Fatigue and Oxidative Stress Responses During a Maximal Exercise Test in Healthy Young Men: Crossover Designed Study

This study aimed to investigate whether the consumption of low-molecular weight polyphenols (LMWP, Oligonol) affects metabolic status related to fatigue and oxidative stress responses during a maximal exercise test in healthy young men. A blinded, crossover design was employed, con-sisting of a placebo condition, single consumption of LMWP (S-LMWP), and 5-day consumption of LMWP (5-LMWP), with washout intervals of at least two weeks between interventions. Among the volunteers, ten participants who met the criteria were finally enrolled in the study. Exercise performance, fatigue-related metabolic parameters, and oxidative stress markers were measured before and immediately after the maximal exercise test, as well as after a 30-min recovery period. Heart rate and lactate, as key fatigue-related parameters, were additionally assessed for 5 min immediately following the exercise. Exercise performance, and anthropometric parameters were not significantly different among the groups. However, both LMWP groups showed significantly lower blood lactate levels at the 30-min recovery period compared with placebo group. Addi-tionally, malondialdehyde levels which increased immediately after exercise, significantly re-covered toward baseline levels at 30 min in the LMWP groups, particularly in the S-LMWP group. In conclusion, short-term consumption of Oligonol may attenuate exercise-induced fatigue and oxidative stress responses during a maximal exercise test.