Polyphenols: Potential Beneficial Effects of These Phytochemicals in Athletes

Abstract

An athlete's dietary requirements depend on several aspects, including the environment, the sport, and the athlete's goals. Although it is recognized that regular exercise improves muscle performance and energy metabolism, unaccustomed or excessive exercise may cause cell damage and impair muscle function by triggering tissue inflammation and oxidative stress. Supplement use among athletes is widespread and recently new attention has been applied to polyphenols. Polyphenols are a class of organic chemical compounds, mainly found in plants, characterized by the presence of multiples of phenol structural units, and over recent decades, special attention has been paid to the healthy role of fruit-derived polyphenols in the human diet. This article will summarize latest knowledge on polyphenolic compounds that have been demonstrated both to exert an effect in exercise-induced muscle damage and to play a biological/physiological role in improving physical performance.