Exciting new mechanism shows CurraNZ is changing 'muscle machinery'

Early data from a study¹ due to be published later in 2023 has shown how phytochemicals in CurraNZ help athletes recover faster after exhaustive exercise by speeding up carbohydrate storage in muscle.

In just a short period of time, the anthocyanin-rich New Zealand blackcurrant supplement effectively accelerated the rates of glycogen resynthesis in muscle by 10%.

Researcher Dr Sam Shepherd (pictured, left), who led the Liverpool John Moores University study, describes the breakthrough as ‘meaningful’.

He says: “Blackcurrant extract seems to be ‘priming’ the muscle and changing the muscle machinery, which supports carbohydrate storage. This is really positive, and further demonstrates the multi-faceted recovery functions of CurraNZ.

“Based on the evidence, I am convinced there is a place for New Zealand blackcurrant extract as a nutritional intervention to support post-exercise recovery.”

It is believed to be the first time this mode of action has been shown in polyphenol supplements. It provides a greater understanding of the unique properties of New Zealand blackcurrant anthocyanins, which scientists now regard as ‘essential’ for active people, because of their array of positive benefits².

Glycogen is the stored form of carbohydrate in the body. Three-quarters of the body’s glycogen is stored in skeletal muscle and, as the predominant fuel source during strenuous training, recovery of glycogen stores is paramount to aerobic performance and recovery.

The exciting finding add further lustre to the growing reputation and significance of the proprietary CurraNZ extract for accelerating recovery from exercise and lowering barriers to performance.

In other research³ from the University of Surrey, data showed the ‘stark’ recovery effects that the CurraNZ supplement had on recreational exercisers. Supplementation before and after a damaging bout of exercise accelerated recovery of muscle function three-fold, halved delayed onset muscle soreness and protected muscle tissue from damage by 84%.

 References

1. New Zealand blackcurrant extract enhances skeletal muscle glycogen re-synthesis in response to Sub-Optimal Carbohydrate Ingestion, Harvey O Fortis¹, Jones RO¹, Hearris MA¹, Barrett JS¹, Jones LO¹, Morton JP¹, Strauss JA¹, Shepherd SO¹ Research Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom

2. Anthocyanin Rich Supplementation Emerging Evidence of Strong Potential for Sports and Exercise Nutrition Review, M Willems, S Blacker, Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022 doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.864323

3. Consumption of New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract improves recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage in non-resistance trained men and women: A double-blind randomized trial, J Hunt et al, Nutrients 2021, 13(8), 2875; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082875