title: The acute effect of ingesting a quercetin-based supplement on exercise-induced inflammation and immune changes in runners.
abstract: This study tested the acute anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating influence of a quercetin-based supplement consumed by endurance athletes 15 min before an intense 2-hr run. In this randomized, crossover study, 20 runners (11 men, 9 women, age 38.4 ± 2.1 yr) completed two 2-hr treadmill runs at 70% VO(2max) (3 wk apart). Subjects ingested either 4 quercetin-based chews (Q-chew) or placebo chews (PL) 15 min before the runs. The 4 Q-chews provided 1,000 mg quercetin, 120 mg epigallocatechin 3-gallate, 400 mg isoquercetin, 400 mg each eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, 1,000 mg vitamin C, and 40 mg niacinamide. Subjects provided blood samples 30 min before, immediately after, and 1 hr postexercise and were analyzed for plasma quercetin, total blood leukocytes (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), 9 cytokines (IL-6, TNFα, GM-CSF, IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12p70), granulocyte (GR) and monocyte (MO) phagocytosis (PHAG), and oxidative-burst activity (OBA). Plasma quercetin increased from 80.0 ± 26.0 μg/L to 6,337 ± 414 μg/L immediately postexercise and 4,324 ± 310 μg/L 1 hr postexercise after ingestion of Q-chews, compared with no change in PL (p < .001). Exercise caused significant increases in, CRP, GM-CSF, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, GR-PHAG, and MO-PHAG and decreases in GR-OBA and MO-OBA, but no differences in the pattern of change were measured between Q-chew and PL trials. Acute ingestion of Q-chews 15 min before heavy exertion caused a strong increase in plasma quercetin levels but did not counter postexercise inflammation or immune changes relative to placebo.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Medicine, Graz Medical University, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.forename: Dru A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Henson
authors.forename: Krista M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kennerly
authors.forename: Fuxia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Sandra J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wallner-Liebmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects; D012420:Running
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D011794:Quercetin; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D003402:Creatine Kinase