Krill Oil and Choline Levels in Triathletes During Races
Choline is a nutrient your muscles rely on, and studies have shown its levels in blood can drop during long, intense endurance events. This field study looked at whether taking krill oil before a race could help keep choline levels more stable in triathletes.
Forty-seven triathletes competing in either an Ironman-distance race or a shorter Sprint/Olympic-distance race took either 4 grams of krill oil or a vegetable oil placebo daily for five weeks leading up to their event. Researchers measured choline and related compounds (betaine and dimethylglycine) in blood samples taken before the race, right after finishing, and the next day.
As expected, choline levels dropped during racing, with a much bigger drop in the longer Ironman race (34%) compared to the shorter race (15%). Betaine also decreased, while dimethylglycine stayed steady. Athletes taking krill oil had higher choline and dimethylglycine levels overall, and showed a smaller drop in choline right after finishing compared to the placebo group.
What this means for you
For endurance athletes, this small study suggests that taking krill oil in the weeks before a long race may help keep blood choline levels somewhat higher during competition, though it doesn’t show whether this translates into better performance or recovery.
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Frontiers in nutrition · 2020-01-01 · DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2020.00133
Read the original source ↗This summary is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your healthcare provider before making changes to your supplement routine.