The unique growing conditions in New Zealand include long hot summers and very cold winters, climatic factors that put the blackcurrant plant under mild stress. This leads to the high concentration of their rich nutrients.

• Taking Muscle & Joint Support leads to speedier tissue repair, recovery and performance in exercise, as well as increased blood flow. Studies have shown lower lactate accumulation during exercise indicating benefits for recovery, performance and cardiovascular function.
• Studies also show the following:
  • Reduced lactate by 14% at maximum oxygen uptake.
  • Increased cardiac output by 26%.
  • Increased blood flow by decreasing total peripheral resistance by 16%.
  • Increased cardiovascular efficiency through increased stroke volume by 25%. Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart. Increased stroke volume improves the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.
• For resting skeletal muscles, these observations may influence the delivery of nutrients and the clearance of metabolites.

• Significantly lower levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress in plasma.
• Significantly increased ability of plasma to suppress inflammatory responses.
• The researchers concluded that blackcurrant extracts taken at the appropriate time and amount can augment the ability of regular exercise to enhance the immune responsiveness of the body.

Blackcurrant powder reduces exercise-induced oxidative stress by significantly lowering levels of protein carbonyls, oxidative capability, and creatine kinase activity.

Muscle & Joint Support suppresses inflammatory responses as measured by cytokines and other regulatory factors.

Blood flow to the muscles is critical for oxygen delivery and sustaining muscular activity. Studies show that consumption of blackcurrant anthocyanins improve sports performance and sports recovery.

The studies aimed to determine the mechanism for this enhanced effect. The changes measured with blackcurrant consumption showed an increase in the diameter of the femoral (thigh) artery, a decrease in thigh muscle oxygen saturation, an increase in total haemoglobin, and cardiovascular changes.

The above indicates an increase in peripheral blood flow as the potential mechanism for enhanced exercise performance with blackcurrant supplements.

Two clinical trials have shown that berries rich in polyphenols decrease the postprandial glucose response of sucrose in healthy subjects. The delayed and attenuated glycaemic response indicates reduced digestion and/or absorption of sucrose from the berry meal.

Diets with a high glycaemic response may be associated with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and CVD (cardiovascular disease).

Muscle & Joint Support increases the levels of HDL cholesterol ('good' cholesterol) levels and lowers levels of LDL cholesterol ('bad' cholesterol) and triglycerides.

It also provides improvements in insulin sensitivity, which allows the improved ability of cells to respond to insulin’s process of transporting glucose from the bloodstream into muscles and other tissues.

Muscle & Joint Support contains Anthocyanins, which are beneficial for people suffering from Fibromyalgia.

• Subjects consumed anthocyanin (100mg) equivalent to two tablespoons of blackcurrant berries.
• Anthocyanin content of plasma reached a maximum after 1 hour and decreased to 50% by 4 hours.
• After 1 hour the forearm blood flow increased significantly (about 40%) compared to placebo.
• In another study 50mg of anthocyanin was shown to improve blood circulation in cold hands.
• Hands were soaked in cold water at 10℃  for 1 minute.
• For subjects who had consumed blackcurrants, hand temperature returned to normal after 7 minutes, compared to 13 minutes for the placebo group.
• For more information on the science and research into NZ Blackcurrants, see here.