Effects of pycnogenol-containing supplement on professional cycling performance: a single-group pretest-posttest pilot study

The performance and physical status of professional cyclists in Japan who train with pycnogenol-containing supplements have not been evaluated. This pilot study aimed to investigate how off-season training and ingesting PycnoRacer™ containing branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and pycnogenol can influence cycling performance in cyclists. Eight professional male cyclists (mean age, 24.0 ± 2.4 years) were included in this study. All athletes received and ingested PycnoRacer™ containing 60 mg of pycnogenol, 4,800 mg of BCAA, and 1,200 mg of arginine daily for 28 days. We evaluated the cycling performance and other parameters of each athlete before using PycnoRacer™ and after 28 days of training with the supplement. Measures of performance, such as maximum oxygen consumption, maximum aerobic power, and maximum heart rate, were evaluated with breath-by-breath exercise tolerance tests using a gas analyzer. Additionally, other parameters, including body composition, respiratory function, and degree of cycling training, were measured. The maximum oxygen consumption, maximum aerobic power, and caloric expenditure during cycling training increased significantly after 28 days of training with PycnoRacer™. However, no significant differences were found in the maximum heart rate, body composition, and respiratory function before and after using PycnoRacer™. Pycnogenol-containing supplements enhance off-season cycling performance and caloric expenditure during cycling training of professional cyclists.