Metabolism Open (Dec 2022)

Influence of pistachios on force production, subjective ratings of pain, and oxidative stress following exercise-induced muscle damage in moderately trained athletes: A randomized, crossover trial

  • Vernon Uganiza Rayo,
  • Imogene Thayer,
  • Stuart D.R. Galloway,
  • Mee Young Hong,
  • Shirin Hooshmand,
  • Changqi Liu,
  • Elise North,
  • Lauren Okamoto,
  • Timothy O'Neal,
  • Jordan Philpott,
  • Oliver C. Witard,
  • Mark Kern

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16
p. 100215

Abstract

Read online

Although previous studies have focused on the role of pistachios on metabolic health, the ergogenic effects of the nut must be elucidated. This study evaluated the impact of ingesting raw, shelled, unsalted pistachios on subjective pain ratings, force production, vertical jump, and biochemical indices of recovery from eccentrically biased exercise. Using a crossover design, 27 moderately trained, male athletes completed 3 trials in a randomized counterbalanced fashion. Control received water only, low dose (1.5 oz/d; PL) and high dose (3.0 oz/d; PH) consumed pistachios for 2 weeks with a 3-4-week washout between trials. PH had lower pain ratings in most muscles after 72 h of recovery (p 0.05); whereas force was diminished in the other trials. Creatine kinase, myoglobin, and C-reactive protein increased over time following exercise (p < 0.05); however, there were no advantages following pistachio consumption. No significant changes in vertical jump or superoxide dismutase were elicited during any trial. This study demonstrates that 3.0 oz/d of pistachios can reduce delayed onset of muscle soreness and maintain muscle strength, potentially promoting exercise tolerance and training adaptations. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03698032.

Keywords