Acute Supplementation of Yerba Mate Extract Did Not Change Muscle Strength in Physically Active Men Following the Strength Muscle Test: A Pilot Clinical Trial

Abstract

Polyphenol supplementation may be useful during exercise. However, there is no evidence indicating yerba mate (YM) increases muscle strength. Thus, this study sought to evaluate the effect of acute YM supplementation on muscle strength following the strength test. In a crossover and pilot clinical trial, ten men were divided into two groups, receiving either supplementation with YM or a placebo. One hour after consumption of beverages, the participants were submitted to tests of one-repetition maximum (1 RM) on the bench press and leg press. The average age of the participants was 25.5 ± 4.1 years, and the average body mass index was 24.4 ± 2.9 kg/m². YM was not able to increase muscle strength when compared to the placebo in either the 1RM leg press exercise (YM: 225 ± 56.2 kg, vs. placebo: 223 ± 64.3 kg, p = 0.743, Cohen’s d = 0.03) or in the 1 RM bench press exercise (YM: 59.5 ± 20.7 kg vs. placebo: 59.5 ± 21.5 kg, p = 1.000, Cohen’s d = 0.) In conclusion, acute intake of YM did not change muscle strength in physically active men.

Yerba Maté (Ilex paraguariensis) Supplement Exerts Beneficial, Tissue-Specific Effects on Mitochondrial Efficiency and Redox Status in Healthy Adult Mice

“…Although the literature on the effect of yerba maté on some aspects of exercise performance, such as muscle strength, remains controversial [34,35], there is a substantial amount of evidence indicating the beneficial effects of lipid oxidation and fat loss in rodents and humans [26,28,29]. Together, the data presented here demonstrate metabolically beneficial, tissue-specific effects of yerba maté on healthy mice such that maté increases energy efficiency in skeletal muscle but decreases efficiency in adipose, which prevents significant weight gain.…”

“…Although the effect of yerba maté on exercise remains controversial [34,35], matéinduced changes in the mitochondrial bioenergetics in skeletal muscle and adipose have previously been associated with positive health outcomes, including improved low and high-intensity exercise performance [36] and increased lipid oxidation and fat loss [37]. Because yerba maté contains a number of bioavailable compounds, it is impossible to discern which compounds were directly responsible for these effects.…”