This superfruit can be berry helpful for weight loss.
A new study published in the journal Nutrients found that eating 25 grams of freeze-dried blueberries — the equivalent of one cup of natural blueberries — every day can improve athletic performance and burn more body fat while exercising.
Scientists based at California Polytechnic State University and Gonzaga University’s Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management wanted to test if a concentrated amount of blueberries could speed up the process of fat oxidation — when the body breaks down fatty acids for energy when exercising.
“This study was the first to investigate whether WB consumption would elicit greater FA-ox rates during an exercise protocol aimed to maximize fat oxidation using moderate-intensity exercise in healthy, trained males,” the study said.
Blueberries have high levels of an antioxidant called anthocyanin, which recent studies have suggested may increase fat oxidation.
The participants were 11 healthy male cyclists who were quizzed on their health and participated in 40 minutes of moderate cycling. Scientists took finger-prick blood samples every 10 minutes of their cycling.
They consumed 25 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder every day, containing 375 grams of anthocyanins, over the course of two weeks. The same 40-minute cycling was then conducted, and their blood was taken during this process as well.
Scientists found that the fat oxidation rates increased by 19.7% after cycling for 20 minutes, 43.2% after 30 minutes and 31.1% at 40 minutes.
The findings suggest that the athletes burned more fat after consuming blueberries.
Blueberries could also help muscles retain their scarcer glycogen supplies, the body’s main source of energy, which in theory could allow the body to exercise for longer and perform better.
It’s noted that the rate of fat oxidation decreases as the workout intensifies and stops providing sufficient fuel.
As energy from fat oxidation fades, the body uses up its glycogen supplies — which is built from carbohydrates — and becomes more tired as glycogen levels decline, limiting exercise performance.
The participants were found to have burned less carbohydrate-dependent glycogen stores at each 10-minute interval where their blood was taken.
Scientists also found that lactate levels in the blood — a sign of fatigue — were “significantly reduced” after eating the blueberries, suggesting that exercise longevity had much improved.
“This novel study documented that consuming WBs for 14 days increased FA-ox [fat oxidation], decreased CHO-ox [carbohydrate oxidation], and decreased plasma lactate values during 40 min of moderate-intensity cycling,” researchers wrote.