Hesperidin is a flavonoid, found specifically in citrus fruits. Reaching high concentrations in citrus fruits, such as sweet oranges.
Recently, hesperidin has been theorized as an effective therapeutic treatment, due to its anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, inhibition of fat accumulation, improvement in glucose homeostasis, and insulin sensitivity.
Hesperidine and Performance
Regarding performance, the effects of hesperidin reported were an increase in intracellular ATP, improvement in mitochondrial capacity, a higher antioxidant capacity and a lower lipid peroxidation.
However, most studies with a significant effect have been done with animals. In humans, the evidence is weak, and more studies are needed.
Interpreting Literature
Aiming to better understand the effects of hesperidin on sport, the randomized clinical trial entitled “Chronic Supplementation of 2S-Hesperidin Improves Acid-Base Status and Decreases Lactate at FatMax, at Ventilatory Threshold 1 and 2 and after an Incremental Test in Amateur Cyclists”, took 40 male amateur cyclists dividing them into two groups (placebo and hesperidin), with the objective of evaluating the effects of 8 weeks of hesperidine supplementation on the improvement of acid-base status markers and on the decrease in lactate. The article evaluated the effects of hesperidin in both high-intensity and low/moderate-intensity exercises.
In addition, the dose used was 500 mg of one hesperidin capsule and the placebo substance was a microcellulose capsule with 500 mg. It is possible to observe that the chronic supplementation of hesperidine was able to decrease blood lactate and improve acid-base balance (due to the increase in bicarbonate and pH), both in high, low and moderate intensity exercises. Unlike placebo which had no significant effects.
Clinical practice
Some mechanisms theorized for this improvement in performance were an increase in fat oxidation, sparing glycogen for the phases of higher intensity in cycling; greater bioavailability of nitric oxide, resulting in greater oxygen supply to the active muscles; greater blood flow, allowing greater resynthesis of phosphocreatine and less accumulation of metabolites that could cause acidosis; in addition to a higher oxidation of lactate in energy.
However, as stated earlier, the evidence regarding hesperidin is very scarce for performance. With this, more studies are needed to elucidate the effects of hesperidine in sport.
Bibliographic references
Article: MARTÍNEZ-NOGUERA, Francisco Javier; ALCARAZ, Pedro E.; CARLOS-VIVAS, George; MARÍN-PAGÁN, Cristian. Chronic Supplementation of 2S-Hesperidin Improves Acid-Base Status and Decreases Lactate at FatMax, at Ventilatory Threshold 1 and 2 and after an Incremental Test in Amateur Cyclists. Biology, , v. 11, [S .L.]n. 5, p. 736, 11 May 2022. Http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology11050736.
Suggested Reading: THE EFFECTS OF COCOA FLAVONOIDS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS AND MUSCLE RECOVERY
