The study involved 20 young athletes (swimmers), aged 11.5 to 20 years (average age 15.7 years). Gender distribution – 16 boys, 4 girls.
The athletes were divided into two groups, in which one group of athletes used a dietary supplement (bee pollen, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E) for six weeks, the other group of athletes used a placebo product (fish oil).
PolliniVit Sports contains pollen, brewer’s yeast (the richest natural source of B vitamins), vitamin C, magnesium.
Various measurement tests were performed on all athletes both at the beginning of the study and after a six-week period.
During the study period, the number of attended/missed training sessions and the reason for absence in case of non-attendance were recorded.
Various parameters were also evaluated – anthropometric indicators (changes in athletes’ weight and height), changes in physical performance (strength and endurance tests), physiological and medical measurements (blood tests, aerobic and lung capacity).
Number of training sessions
When assessing the number of training sessions attended/not attended by athletes, very significant differences were found. Athletes who used the bee pollen nutritional supplement missed training much less often. Training sessions were mostly missed due to upper respiratory tract diseases. The authors of the study calculated that in a longer period (maintaining this trend), athletes who did not use the nutritional supplement would miss 1 in 16 training days (almost 23 days per year, or almost 1 training session every 2 weeks), whereas athletes who used the bee pollen nutritional supplement would miss only 1 in 105 training days (on average, just over 3 days per year).
Physiological indicators
Vital lung capacity
Of the physiological indicators, the greatest difference was found in the dynamics of the vital lung capacity, which is a very important indicator for athletes. Vital lung capacity, or lung vital volume, is the amount of air that a person can exhale after the deepest inhalation. The larger the vital lung volume, the better the body is supplied with oxygen and is able to cope with a greater load.
Aerobic capacity
An increase in aerobic capacity was found in both study groups. General or aerobic endurance is the main physical characteristic for achieving results in endurance sports (sports with a competition duration of more than five minutes). VO2 max is a measurement that indicates the health of the cardiovascular system and aerobic performance.
Physical Strength
Increases in physical strength were found in both groups. The greatest increase in strength was found in the left hand grip, although overall there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups.
PolliniVit Sports contains pollen, brewer’s yeast, vitamin C, magnesium
These ingredients have a positive effect on overall health and physiological processes in the body.
Pollen
Pollen is a very valuable and biologically active product. Pollen contains proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, organic acids and vitamins – they are rich in both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins E and B – to increase physical endurance, energy and muscle strength.
Brewer’s yeast
Brewer’s yeast is a very rich and useful source of vitamins and minerals. It contains most of the B complex vitamins (B1 / thiamine, B2 / riboflavin, B3 / niacin, B5 / pantothenic acid, B6 / pyridoxine, B7 / biotin and B9 / folic acid). B complex vitamins are necessary for the full functioning of the nervous and muscular systems. Brewer’s yeast contains the amino acids lysine, methionine, threonine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, arginine, serine, alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, glycine, proline, aspartic acid, glutamic acid.
Magnesium
Magnesium is necessary for the body to function properly. Without magnesium, biochemical reactions that ensure energy production, protein formation from amino acids, muscle contraction and relaxation, nervous system regulation, and normal heart rhythm are impossible.
Vitamin C
The best-known property of vitamin C is its ability to strengthen immunity, which is especially important for athletes under high stress. Vitamin C helps absorb iron. Iron is necessary to help oxygen bind to hemoglobin in the blood, thus ensuring the use of oxygen.
The original study can be found here.
