A blend of cod liver oil and virgin coconut oil improves the endurance performance in mice

The objective of the study was to test the ability of a blend (BLO) of VCO and CLO to improve endurance performance in the mouse model. The nutritional profile, viscosity, and free fatty acid (FFA) content were analysed. Mice were randomly divided into the four groups: control, VCO, CLO, and BLO group. Endurance studies were carried out for 4 weeks. The endurance potential was investigated based on exhaustive swimming, forelimb grip strength test, biochemical, histological, and molecular analyses. As expected, the BLO contained essential fatty acids such as polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Vitamin A, and Vitamin E. The viscosity, triglyceride, and FFA content were 54mPas, 95%, and 0.6%, respectively. Animal studies showed no toxicity in tissues. The BLO-supplemented group demonstrated substantially higher score in exhaustive swimming and forelimb grip strength test, a decrease in the serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and creatine kinase (CK) levels, a substantial decrease in fibrotic changes in the liver, skeletal muscle, and heart, with more glycogen deposits in the skeletal muscle and elevated expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- γ (PPARγ) coactivator (PGC)-1α compared to the controls. These results suggest that, the BLO improves the endurance potential via activation of PGC-1α signalling and may be used as a food supplement to improve an athlete’s endurance potenti...
Source: Sport Sciences for Health - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research