Olive fruit water can improve your workout performance!

We are all aware that olive oil has several health benefits for the body and brain. It is part of the Mediterranean diet and is mainly responsible for the healthy and long life of the residents of that region. But do you know that one of the olive oil byproducts, olive fruit water also has the beneficial polyphenols that can help improve your workout. More on it below.

Olive oil and olive oil byproduct olive fruit water

Olive oil is part of the Mediterranean diet. It has multiple benefits due to its monounsaturated fats content and antioxidants. Both of these improve cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure and blood bad cholesterol. Besides this cardioprotective action, the substances prevent the age related cognitive decline. Thus, they boost brain health too. This explains the great health and long life of people residing in the Mediterranean regions of the world.

And a new study that the journal Nutrients has published states that olive oil byproduct, olive fruit water is equally beneficial. It has a lot of antioxidants, polyphenols in it just like those in olive oil. And the new study also found that this byproduct can improve respiratory efforts at the start of an exercise of workout. Moreover, it also improves oxygen consumption and running ability.

The study details

Researchers from the nutrition department of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge in the UK studied the olive oil byproduct, olive fruit water or OliPhenolia. They wanted to know its effect on recreationally active adults. This byproduct has phenolic compounds, particularly hydroxytyrosol in it. The lead author, Justin Roberts, Ph.D. told in a press release:

“For a long time, I’ve been interested in the exercise benefits of polyphenols, such as those derived from cherries and beetroot. To gain similar benefits from olives, you would have to consume large quantities daily, which isn’t realistic, so we were keen to test this concentrated olive fruit water,”

There were 29 recruits who either had OliPhenolia or a placebo daily for 16 days. Their running performance was measured. The former group documented positive critical markers of running performance. OliPhenolia enhanced the respiratory efforts at commencement of the exercise routine, increased oxygen uptake and also the running ability during low intensity workout. No significant effect was seen in high intensity workout category. But there was a subjective improvement in physical effort and recovery felt by the participants.

More on the findings

Justin explained:

“Like olive oil, [OliPhenolia] contains hydroxytyrosol, but this olive fruit water is a sustainable by-product. It’s typically thrown away during the production of olive oil, and we found a company in Italy—Fattoria La Vialla, a biodynamic farm in Tuscany—who decided to turn this waste water into a dietary supplement,”

The team wants to reconfirm the findings. Also, they want to test it in marathon runners and know its effect on recovery post exercise. Further, they want to know whether it can help reduce inflammation after workout.

Also, read Olive oil: health benefits, uses, and olive oil frauds!

If the outcomes are positive, it could put the byproduct of olive oil production into good use. Normally, it is just thrown away as a waste.