Black chokeberry extract and inflammation in young football players
What it found
In 22 young male football players, taking black chokeberry extract for 90 days changed some markers of inflammation and antioxidant status after hard exercise.
The extract group also ran further in a shuttle run test.
What they found
Studies in people
Inflammation markers at rest
After 90 days, the chokeberry group had a 15.0% decrease in IL-6 and a 20.0% increase in IL-10 at rest. The placebo group did not show these changes.
Antioxidant status at rest
Resting total antioxidant capacity rose by 85.2% in the supplemented group, and 8-OHdG, a marker of oxidative stress, fell by 14.5%.
Inflammation after exercise
Right after and 6 hours after the shuttle run, IL-6 levels were 31.3% and 35.9% lower in the chokeberry group than in the placebo group. IL-10 levels were 20.0% and 24.5% higher at those same times.
Exercise performance
The supplemented group ran a longer distance in the shuttle run test after the 90 days, and had a bigger change in lactate levels. The placebo group showed no significant changes in performance.
Iron metabolism markers
No effect was seen on ferritin or hepcidin levels, at rest or after exercise, in either group.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, supplementation with lyophilized black chokeberry extract improves the performance and antioxidant status of serum in humans and induces protective changes in inflammatory markers.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that taking lyophilized black chokeberry extract increases serum total antioxidant capacity and IL-10 levels, and decreases IL-6 levels during recovery after maximal aerobic exercise.
- They say the findings justify using lyophilized black chokeberry extract as a dietary supplement for athletes undergoing maximal aerobic exercise.
- They suggest it could be a starting point for considering its use in non-athlete populations as well.
How it was done
Herbal supplements are widely used by athletes, and chokeberry is rich in phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. The authors wanted to see whether chokeberry extract could affect post-exercise inflammation and iron metabolism markers in trained players.
They randomly split 22 semi-professional male football players (average age about 20) into a group taking 6 g of lyophilized black chokeberry extract daily for 90 days and a placebo group. Before and after the 90 days, players did a maximal shuttle run test, with blood samples taken before, right after, and 6 and 24 hours after exercise.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was small, with only 22 players, so the results may not apply to other groups.
- The players' usual diets were not controlled, so other foods rich in flavonoids could have affected the results.
- The authors note that most measurements used ELISA, which can have errors, and suggest more precise methods in future studies.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.
- Authors work at
- Kazimierz Wielki University, Poland; Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland; Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Poland
The paper
- Title
- Effect of Supplementation with Black Chokeberry ( Aronia melanocarpa ) Extract on Inflammatory Status and Selected Markers of Iron Metabolism in Young Football Players: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Stankiewicz B, Cieślicka M, Mieszkowski J, et al (2023). Effect of Supplementation with Black Chokeberry ( Aronia melanocarpa ) Extract on Inflammatory Status and Selected Markers of Iron Metabolism in Young Football Players: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu15040975Free full textPubMed 36839333DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error