Effects of pollen extract upon adolescent swimmers.

Abstract

Many competitive sportsmen in this country regularly use pollen extract as a dietary supplement in the belief that it can lead to an improvement in performance. We have investigated the effects of a six-week course of pollen extract administration on a variety of physiological parameters in a group (n = 20) of adolescent swimmers. At the time of the study, all subjects were training on a daily basis. During the course of the study, maximum oxygen uptake increased in both the treatment group and the placebo group, no difference between the response of the two groups being observed. Vital capacity showed a significant increase in the treatment group, but not in the placebo group. The results indicate that no positive benefit was obtained from the use of pollen supplementation. However, the number of training days missed due to upper respiratory tract infections was much less in the pollen treatment group (4 days) than in the placebo group (27 days). In a study of longer duration, this difference could lead to an improved performance by the pollen treatment group due to fewer interruptions to training.

Alleviating exercise-induced muscular stress using neat and processed bee pollen: oxidative markers, mitochondrial enzymes, and myostatin expression in rats

“…On account of its distinct composition, pollen are reported to exhibit an array of pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiatherosclerotic, antiallergic, antiosteoporosis, hepatoprotective, sedative, etc 8, 9, 10, 11. Owing to the rich nutrient content, bee pollen is claimed to be a useful food or dietary supplement for sportspeople and athletes, 8 however very little scientific evidence is available to support this claim 12 . In this context, the current study was undertaken to investigate at biochemical, mitochondrial, and molecular levels, the muscle protectant ability of bee pollen, which has not been explored to date.…”

BJSMreviews: A–Z of nutritional supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance Part 4

“…Interest in its ergogenic properties stems from anecdotal reports and testimonies from successful athletes 11. However, the few available studies from the 1970s and 1980s involving athletes and bee pollen supplementation (3–12-week protocols following manufacturers’ recommended doses) have found minimal effects on: haemoglobin concentrations,12 strength and aerobic capacity,13 perceived exertion,14 time trial performance12 or repeated high-intensity exercise 14. One study13 did note fewer days lost to respiratory infections in swimmers supplementing with bee pollen.…”

Differential performance of honey bee colonies selected for bee-pollen production through instrumental insemination and free-mating technique

“…Its use has also been encouraged for potential benefits against diseases, especially prostatic cancer (Habib et al, 1990;Zhang et al, 1995;Hana et al, 2007;Wu and Lou, 2007;Wang et al, 2015), chronic prostatitis (Dhar and Shoskes, 2007;Buck et al, 1989), and prostatic hyperplasia (Xu et al, 2008). Athletes, ever chasing improved performance, are also encouraged to consume bee-pollen on a regular basis (Maughan and Evans, 1982). In non-human systems, bee-pollen has also been recommended as a productiveenhancing agent in a wide range of livestock, such as rabbits (Attia et al, 2011), horses (Turner et al, 2006), broiler chickens (Attia et al, 2014), and fish (El-Asely et al, 2014).…”