Regular
walnut consumption is associated with several health benefits including healthy
brain aging, improved cognitive performance and heart health. (1, 2, 3) But, in case that’s not convincing enough to
make you want to add a handful of walnuts to your diet daily, I have another
reason. Walnuts may even the ability to improve exercise performance!
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Researchers
of a study published in the Journal of
Laboratory Animal Research, investigated the anti-fatigue effect of walnuts
on the forced swimming capacity in mice. (4) A forced swimming test is
essentially like dropping you into a water tank where you cannot stand or hold
onto something. This type of test acts as both an endurance and a stress test.
The mice in the experimental group were given either 300, 600, or 900 mg/kg a
day of walnut extract, while the mice in the control group were only given
water. It turns out that the mice who were
given walnut extract coped much better than mice in the vehicle control group.
The
increased swimming times by the mice given walnut extract are suggested to be in
part due to decreased levels of lactate and ammonia. The accumulation of blood
lactate and ammonia are known to cause fatigue and decreased exercise capacity.
Therefore, it is suggested that the walnut extract exhibits an anti-fatigue
effect. And, while all dosages of walnut extract resulted in increased
endurance, 600 mg/kg appears to be the optimal dosage. The walnut extract
dosage of 600 mg/kg a day was based on human equivalent of the recommended
intake of raw walnut – which is about 42 grams per day, or roughly about a
handful.
Walnuts complement a wide range of flavors and they
are great to add to just about anything. Try adding walnuts to your morning
cereal, toss some in with your salad, sprinkle them on pasta, or even use them
to make delicious dips and spreads!
Gavin Van De Walle is an ISSA Certified Fitness
Trainer, a freelance writer on topics of fitness and nutrition, and a dietetic
student at South Dakota State University. Once Gavin becomes an RD, he will aim
to achieve the distinguished Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)
credential. Gavin can be reached at gavin@supranutrition.com
References
1. Willis,
LM., Shukitt-Hale B., Cheng V., Joseph JA. Dose-dependent effects of walnuts on
motor and cognitive function in aged rats. Br
J Nutr. 2009; 101(8): 1140-4.
2. Pribis
P., Bailey RN., Russell AA., et al. Effects of walnut consumption on cognitive
performance in young adults. B J Nutr. 2012;
107(9): 1393-401.
3. Berryman
CE., Grieger JA, West SG., et al. Acute consumption of walnuts and walnut
components differentially acute postprandial lipemia, endothelial function,
oxidative stress, and cholesterol efflux in humans with mild
hypercholesterolemia. J Nutr. 2013;
143(6): 788-94.
4. Kim
DI, Kim KS. Walnut extract exhibits anti-fatigue action via improvement of
exercise tolerance in mice. Lab Anim Res.
2013; 29(4): 190-5.
