Bee pollen benefits were firstly discussed after the 1972 Olympics, when the coach of the Finnish team claimed the success obtained by her athletes was somehow linked with the pollen food supplements the team members were using before competitions. According to Antii Lananaki, the performances of the runners were improved by the natural product, with no undesired effects.
During the ‘80s, several studies – lots of them double-blind – were taken in different countries in order to establish whether bee pollen really influences the resistance and athletic performance in people with intense physical activity, in the long run. While the results of those tests showed no statistical differences between those taking placebo and those taking bee pollen supplements, there were some aspects that caught the attention of scientists.
Bee pollen’s short-term effects on athletes
This natural product was found to contain no less than 96 nutrients, 40% being proteins. As proven by scientific studies, proteins are essential for the recovery of muscle cells after physical effort, as they shorten the recovery time and also improve the endurance and energy levels after intense workout.
Based on these statements, Remi Korchemny, Russian Olympic coach, conducted a double-blind study on runners during which the participants were given either placebo or bee pollen and asked to run, at maximum intensity, several laps. The results showed those given the natural product performed better when asked to repeat the intense effort so the coach concluded the full spectrum of nutrients contained by bee pollen was responsible for the runners’ performances.
Moreover, the study showed short-term improvements in the activity of the cardiovascular system in those given pollen, hence the conclusion that this natural supplement is beneficial to athletes and people doing regular intense physical activity, when taken in certain doses and on a regular basis.
Besides the rapid and significant increase in energy, this product was proven to improve the immune function and the resistance to allergies as well. Also, thanks to the contained enzymes, pollen was found to prevent the development of harmful bacteria, ameliorating the activity of the digestive system and balancing the chemical metabolism. According to scientific trials, the fats and antioxidants contained in bee pollen help relieving anxiety and depression, eliminate anxiety and improve mental energy.
Containing every known nutrient that the human body needs to function properly, this product is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and well tolerated by most people, its health action starting right after being swallowed. The natural supplement is great for treating and preventing nutritional deficiencies as well as for improving the functionality of the entire organism, these being the main reasons for which nutritionists recommend the constant intake of bee pollen for energy, endurance, strength and overall health improvement not only to athletes but to all those doing regular physical activities at high intensity.
This is an interesting article Joshua. I love learning about bees and I’m a fan of honey as a sweetener.
When it comes to bee pollen though, I’m still skeptical. I’d love to take a closer look at any actual studies of bee pollen on runners if you have any links (I’ve never been able to find a true source on bee pollen studies.)
Regardless, I think bee pollen could be an interesting product for runners to look into if they are already maximizing all other aspects of their training and nutrition.