Active Edge juices are rich in antioxidants to help reduce downtime

Free radicals are a natural by-product of metabolism (like exhaust fumes from a combustion engine).

They are highly reactive compounds that can cause damage to body cells and are produced in increased quantities during intense or prolonged exercise.

Antioxidants are compounds that deactivate these damaging free radicals and are found in abundance in fruit and vegetables.  However, some athlete’s training loads lead to an overload of the antioxidant system and a state of oxidative stress can occur.

Oxidative stress can lead to lipid peroxidation and damage to cellular proteins and DNA and has been implicated in muscular fatigue, a low immune response, respiratory and other infections and reduced sports performance.

Maintaining a high antioxidant diet therefore may help prevent oxidative stress, stimulate and protect the immune system and therefore help optimise an athlete’s training programme.

Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a laboratory test that measures the antioxidant levels in food.   The higher the ORAC score, the better a food may be in defending our cells from free radical damage.

Antioxidants are found in abundance in fruit and vegetables.  However, particular fruits and vegetables, the “superfoods”, have significantly higher ORAC values than regular ones.

For example, the table below shows a typical “5-a-Day” fruit and vegetable intake, with an ORAC score of 1,790 units. This is compared to the ORAC score of a 30ml serving of CherryActive concentrated juice, with a measured ORAC value of 8260 units.

To maintain a high antioxidant diet, therefore, it is important to consider the quality as well as the quantity of fruit and vegetables consumed.

  • PomegranateActive is 100% concentrated pomegranate juice

Typical 5-a-Day Food Portions

ORAC Units*

Medium Banana (80g***)

650

Watermelon (80g)

113

Fresh Tomatoes (80g)

294

Garden Peas (80g)

480

Cooked Carrots (80g)

253

Total for selected 5-a-Day

1790

 

 

CherryActive Concentrate (30ml)

8260**

(dilutes to make one glass of cherry juice)

 

*Source: ORAC of Selected Foods – 2007.
** Source: ORAC CherryActive Concentrate, Brunswick Laboratories.
***80g is the standard portion measure for the 5-a-Day programme.

Active Edge produces a range of concentrated juice products, all rich in antioxidants, which may help boost antioxidant defence against free radicals and downtime during intense athletic training programmes. CherryActive, BlueberryActive, BeetActive, PomegranateActive.

  • Recommended intake to increase antioxidant status- 30ml-60ml Active Edge concentrated juices during training programme, including rest days. Dilute with water, add to smoothies, natural yoghurt or other food and drink recipes.
  • We recommend you take a 30ml serving of one of our concentrated juice products daily to help increase your daily antioxidant intake.