The role of natural polyphenols in reducing oxidative stress and/or supporting antioxidant mechanisms, particularly relating to exercise, is of high interest. The aim of this study was to investigate OliPhenolia^® (OliP), a biodynamic and organic olive fruit water phytocomplex, rich in hydroxytyrosol (HT), for the first time within an exercise domain. HT bioavailability from OliP was assessed in fifteen healthy volunteers in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled cross-over design (age: 30 ± 2 yrs; body mass: 76.7 ± 3.9 kg; height: 1.77 ± 0.02 m), followed by a separate randomized, double-blinded, cohort trial investigating the short-term impact of OliP consumption (2 × 28 mL∙d⁻¹ of OliP or placebo (PL) for 16-days) on markers of oxidative stress in twenty-nine recreationally active participants (42 ± 2 yrs; 71.1 ± 2.1 kg; 1.76 ± 0.02 m). In response to a single 28 mL OliP bolus, plasma HT peaked at 1 h (38.31 ± 4.76 ng∙mL⁻¹), remaining significantly elevated (p < 0.001) until 4 h. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH) and HT were assessed at rest and immediately following exercise (50 min at ~75% $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂max then 10 min intermittent efforts) and at 1 and 24 h post-exercise, before and after the 16-day supplementation protocol. Plasma HT under resting conditions was not detected pre-intervention, but increased to 6.3 ± 1.6 ng·mL⁻¹ following OliP only (p < 0.001). OliP demonstrated modest antioxidant effects based on reduced SOD activity post-exercise (p = 0.016) and at 24 h (p ≤ 0.046), and increased GSH immediately post-exercise (p = 0.009) compared with PL. No differences were reported for MDA and CAT activity in response to the exercise protocol between conditions. The phenolic compounds within OliP, including HT, may have specific antioxidant benefits supporting acute exercise recovery. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of OliP following longer-term exercise training, and clinical domains pertinent to reduced oxidative stress.

The duplication of chromosome 21, as evidenced in Down Syndrome (DS), has been linked to contraindications to health, such as chronotropic and respiratory incompetence, neuromuscular conditions, and impaired cognitive functioning. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of eight weeks of prescribed exercise and/or cognitive training on the physical and cognitive health of adults with DS. Eighty-three participants (age 27.1 ± 8.0 years) across five continents participated. Physical fitness was assessed using a modified version of the six-minute walk test (6MWT), while cognitive and executive functions were assessed using the Corsi block test, the Sustained-Attention-To-Response Task (SART), and the Stroop task (STROOP). All were completed pre- and post-intervention. Participants were assigned to eight weeks of either exercise (EXE), 3 × 30 min of walking/jogging per week, cognitive training (COG) 6 × ~20 min per week, a combined group (COM), and a control group (CON) engaging in no intervention. 6MWT distance increased by 11.4% for EXE and 9.9% for COM (p < 0.05). For SART, there were positive significant interactions between the number of correct and incorrect responses from pre- to post-intervention when participants were asked to refrain from a response (NO-GO-trials) across all experimental groups (p < 0.05). There were positive significant interactions in the number of correct, incorrect, and timeout incompatible responses for STROOP in EXE, COG, and COM (p < 0.05). Walking generated a cognitive load attributed to heightened levels of vigilance and decision-making, suggesting that exercise should be adopted within the DS community to promote physical and cognitive well-being.

There is current scientific interest in naturally sourced phenolic compounds and their potential benefits to health, as well as the effective role polyphenols may provide in an exercise setting. This study investigated the chronic effects of supplementation with a biodynamic and organic olive fruit water phytocomplex (OliPhenolia^® [OliP]), rich in hydroxytyrosol (HT), on submaximal and exhaustive exercise performance and respiratory markers of recovery. Twenty-nine recreationally active participants (42 ± 2 yrs; 71.1 ± 2.1 kg; 1.76 ± 0.02 m) consumed 2 × 28 mL∙d⁻¹ of OliP or a taste- and appearance-matched placebo (PL) over 16 consecutive days. Participants completed a demanding, aerobic exercise protocol at ~75% maximal oxygen uptake ($\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O_2max) for 65 min 24 h before sub- and maximal performance exercise tests prior to and following the 16-day consumption period. OliP reduced the time constant (τ) (p = 0.005) at the onset of exercise, running economy (p = 0.015) at lactate threshold 1 (LT1), as well as the rating of perceived exertion (p = 0.003) at lactate turnpoint (LT2). Additionally, OliP led to modest improvements in acute recovery based upon a shorter time to achieve 50% of the end of exercise $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂ value (p = 0.02). Whilst OliP increased time to exhaustion (+4.1 ± 1.8%), this was not significantly different to PL (p > 0.05). Phenolic compounds present in OliP, including HT and related metabolites, may provide benefits for aerobic exercise and acute recovery in recreationally active individuals. Further research is needed to determine whether dose-response or adjunct use of OliP alongside longer-term training programs can further modulate exercise-associated adaptations in recreationally active individuals, or indeed support athletic performance.

Objective: A suite of adaptations facilitating endurance running (ER) evolved within the hominin lineage. This may have improved our ability to reach scavenging sites before competitors, or to hunt prey over long distances. Running economy (RE) is a key determinant of endurance running performance, and depends largely on the magnitude of force required to support body mass. However, numerous environmental factors influence body mass, thereby significantly affecting RE. This study tested the hypothesis that alternative metabolic strategies may have emerged to enable ER in individuals with larger body mass and poor RE.Methods: A cohort of male (n = 25) and female (n = 19) ultra-endurance runners completed submaximal and exhaustive treadmill protocols to determine RE, and V̇O_2Max.Results: Body mass was positively associated with sub-maximal oxygen consumption at both LT1 (maler=0.66,p<0.001; female LT1r=0.23,p=0.177) and LT2 (maler=0.59,p=0.001; femaler=0.23,p=0.183) and also with V̇O_2Max(maler=0.60,p=0.001; femaler=0.41,p=0.046). Additionally, sub-maximal oxygen consumption varied positively with V̇O_2Maxin both male (LT1r=0.54,p=0.003; LT2r=0.77,p<0.001) and female athletes (LT1r=0.88,p<0.001; LT2r=0.92,p<0.001).Conclusions: The results suggest that, while individuals with low mass and good RE can glide economically as they run, larger individuals can compensate for the negative effects their mass has on RE by increasing their capacity to consume oxygen. The elevated energy expenditure of this low-economy high-energy turnover approach to ER may bring costs associated with energy diversion away from other physiological processes, however.