Acute Impact of Different Foods and Beverages on Exercise Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

The aim of this research project is to explore the acute impact of specific foods and beverages, which have been shown to be associated with inflammatory processes, mainly in epidemiological studies, on inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters in healthy humans following a high intensity physical workout.

The aim of this research project is to explore the acute impact of specific foods and beverages, which have been shown to be associated with inflammatory processes, mainly in epidemiological studies, on inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters in healthy humans following a high intensity physical workout. The choice of food will mainly be based on the food groups from the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index. For that purpose, seventy-two healthy volunteers will be recruited to perform several interventions in order to assess the impact of different nutrient groups or single- foods on oxidative and inflammatory markers. They will be divided into the three groups beverage consumption, plantbased foods and protein sources. The intense physical activity serves to induce a physiological stress response in the body, known to be accompanied by an increase in oxidative and inflammatory stress parameters. The idea is that anti- inflammatory or antioxidant nutrients could potentially attenuate this stress response in dependence on their anti- inflammatory or antioxidant potential. The operability of this concept has already been tested. The main benefit of this approach is to get a deeper insight into short term effects of single foods or beverages on inflammatory and prooxidative processes in humans by using short term intense physical activity as a stress model. One major practical aspect of this approach is to assess dietary components with respect to their pro- or anti-inflammatory-/oxidative stress potential regarding e.g. non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease or the metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, it could help to reduce inflammation or oxidative stress during or following high intense physical exercise in order to reduce the stress response during training or competition in order to enhance regeneration and to foster the training gain in sports.

acute consumption of anti- and pro- inflammatory foods and beverages 2 hour prior to intense physical activity

single consumption of one cup of green tea (GT), coffee, orange juice (OJ), pomegranate juice (PGJ), milk and sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) 2 hours prior to a 30-min- HIIT resistance circuit exercise in healthy human subjects

single consumption of one proportion of dark chocolate (choc), broccoli (bcc), tomatoes, walnuts, white bread and whole grain bread (r = refined & w = whole grain) 2 hours prior to a 30-min-HIIT resistance circuit exercise in healthy human subjects

single consumption of one proportion of red meat (r meat), full fat cheese, eggs, tofu, salmon and processed meat (p meat) 2 hours prior to a 30-min- HIIT resistance circuit exercise in healthy human subjects

Inclusion Criteria: female human subjects aged 18-40 years no chronical diseases not more than 120 minutes of physical activity per week no regular resistance training within the past 6 months BMI 18.5 - 24.99 kg/m² body fat percentage of at least 20% Exclusion Criteria: contraindications against physical activity anemia fructose or lactose intolerance smoking medications with influence on ROS levels or inflammation allergy or intolerance against intervention food/beverages.