CurraNZ boosts performance by up to 38% for recreational athletes in high-intensity running-based sports

JANUARY 20, 2024: A new study¹ has revealed that CurraNZ New Zealand blackcurrant extract can offer a major boost for athletes, particularly those in high-intensity team sports at amateur or semi-professional level. 

The research, published in the Nutrients Journal, shows that 50% of men who took CurraNZ, a New Zealand blackcurrant extract, experienced significant reproduceable performance enhancements, increasing their average running distance 16.7% - or 328m - compared to placebo.

This first-ever study on the polyphenol-rich runner’s supplement demonstrated that recreational athletes can respond highly and repeatedly, by running several hundred metres further in high-intensity efforts.

The study assessed 7-days intake of 600mg CurraNZ on 16 recreationally active men who were regular participants in sports or exercise with high-intensity and intermittent running. The double-blinded, randomized, crossover design tested subjects in 5 treadmill sessions over 12-16 weeks, with washout periods of 14 days. Improvements were based on a ‘smallest worthwhile change’ calculation – in this instance 173m.

Findings showed:

•       50% saw reproduceable performance effects both trials
•       These responders saw changes of 7.2% to 38%, and an average 16.7% (328m) increase in running distance
•       The highest responder improved his total distance by 38% and 28%
•       A further 19% improved their running distance in one trial, but not the other
•       The entire cohort’s results observed total distance improvements of 7.9%

Mark Willems, Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester, who led the study, emphasized the significance of these results, particularly because they were achieved after just 7 days of supplementation.

He says, “These observations are extremely encouraging because it shows that individuals who consistently respond to blackcurrant, at least with high-intensity intermittent exercise, receive a substantial performance advantage.

“Those who responded in both trials had consistently high responses. Those gains would normally be seen after anywhere between two to eight weeks of repeated sprint or high-intensity interval training.”

New Zealand blackcurrants are a promising ergogenic aid because of their rich polyphenol content. The bioactives, called anthocyanins, improve muscle function, reduce fatigue and boost cardiovascular function and fuelling, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Sports nutrition practitioners have been calling for research to test the repeatability of a supplement’s performance effects, with some popular aids, such as sodium bicarbonate, showing inconsistent reproduceable effects on performance. 

Why Some Athletes Don’t Respond

Although over two-thirds of the participants saw significant improvements in at least one of the blackcurrant tests, not every athlete responded to the supplement. This variation is common in sports nutrition and can be influenced by factors such as genetics and a person’s absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of the blackcurrant bioactives.

Professor Willems says, “It could be a case that people need higher doses to respond, or that they handle the blackcurrant actives differently. We’ve seen that from 1 week to 2 weeks things change for different physiological parameters, and perhaps longer intake would deliver different results. We just don’t know.”

This new insight paves the way for New Zealand blackcurrant extract to become a major player in the world of sports nutrition. Whether you are a weekend warrior, a semi-pro athlete, or a coach looking to give your players an edge, the promise of CurraNZ as a powerful ergogenic aid cannot be ignored.

With its well-researched benefits, this affordable, natural supplement could help unlock the full potential of recreational athletes across a wide range of team sports.

Reference

1.    Individual Responses to Repeated Dosing with Anthocyanin-Rich New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract (CurraNZ) During High-Intensity Intermittent Treadmill Running in Active Males, Nutrients 2024, 16, 4253. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16244253