Green Tea for Racehorses?
Quercetin, a flavonoid widely distributed in nature (apples, onions, green tea, etc) has previously been shown to increase energy expenditure in rats, but only for short periods (fewer than 8 weeks). Effects of quercetin on exercise tolerance in mice have been associated with increased Mitochondrial biogenesis. In mice, an oral quercetin dose of 12.5 to 25 mg/kg increased gene expression of mitochondrial biomarkers and improved exercise endurance.
A paper released in the Journal on Comparative Physiology has shown that a dose of Quercetin has been shown to alter markers of athletic performance. Six healthy, unfit Standardbred mares were assigned to one of two treatments (quercetin or water) in an experiment conducted in a crossover fashion. The horses were dosed via a nasogastric tube twice a day with either 6 g of quercetin in 2 l tap water or 2 l water for 3.5 days. Two hours after the seventh and final dose, a graded exercise test was run. Blood and muscle samples were collected before the initial dosing, before exercise and after . There was a significant increase in run time to fatigue when the horses were dosed with quercetin. The VO2 recovery time was shortened significantly when compared to water-treated trials. The study provides evidence that quercetin could be useful in enhancing exercise performance, although the mechanism for this enhancement is unclear.
Thinking of administering Green Tea itself? That would get a positive for caffeine.....