Quercetin may not be a household word yet but a study by researchers at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health shows that the powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory compound found in fruits and vegetables significantly boosts endurance capacity and maximal oxygen capacity (VO2max) in healthy, active but untrained men and women.

The findings of the study, one of the first in humans to examine the energy-boosting effects of quercetin, are reported in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism

Dr. Mark Davis, the study’s lead author and a professor of exercise science, said the fatigue-fighting and health properties of quercetin found in the skins of red apples, red onions, berries and grapes have implications not only for athletes and soldiers whose energy and performance are tested to the extreme, but also for average adults who battle fatigue and stress daily.

“The natural, biological properties of quercetin that include powerful antioxidant and anti-imflammatory activity, as well as the ability to boost the immune system and increase mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) in muscle and brain is great news for those who often think that they’re too tired to exercise,” Davis said.

Source: International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism