Quercetin and endurance exercise capacity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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#athletes #athletic-performance #dietary-supplements #exercise #female

Quercetin and endurance exercise capacity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Kressler et al., 2011 | Med Sci Sports Exerc | Meta Analysis

Citation

Kressler Jochen, Millard-Stafford Melinda, Warren Gordon L. Quercetin and endurance exercise capacity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011-Dec;43(12):2396-404. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e31822495a7

Abstract

UNLABELLED: Quercetin is a dietary flavonoid purported to improve human endurance exercise capacity. However, published findings are mixed. PURPOSE: The study's purpose was to perform a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis to examine whether quercetin ingestion increases endurance exercise capacity. METHODS: A search of the literature was conducted using the key words quercetin, performance, exercise, endurance, and aerobic capacity. Eleven studies were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria providing data on 254 human subjects. Across all studies, subject presupplementation VO(2max) ranged from 41 to 64 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1) (median = 46), and median treatment duration was 11 d with a median dosage of 1000 mg·d(-1). Effect sizes (ES) were calculated as the standardized mean difference, and meta-analyses were completed using a random-effects model. RESULTS: The ES calculated for all studies combining VO(2max) and endurance performance measures indicates a significant effect favoring quercetin over placebo (ES = 0.15, P = 0.021, 95% confidence interval = 0.02-0.27), but the magnitude of effect is considered between trivial and small, equating to a ∼2% [corrected] improvement of quercetin over placebo. Using a subgroup meta-analysis comparing quercetin's effect on endurance exercise performance versus VO(2max), no significant difference was found (P = 0.69). Meta-regression of study ES relative to subjects' fitness level or plasma quercetin concentration achieved by supplementation was also not significant. CONCLUSIONS: On average, quercetin provides a statistically significant benefit in human endurance exercise capacity (VO(2max) and endurance exercise performance), but the effect is between trivial and small. Experimental factors that explain the between-study variation remain to be elucidated.

Key Findings

The ES calculated for all studies combining VO(2max) and endurance performance measures indicates a significant effect favoring quercetin over placebo (ES = 0.15, P = 0.021, 95% confidence interval = 0.02-0.27), but the magnitude of effect is considered between trivial and small, equating to a ∼2% [corrected] improvement of quercetin over placebo. Using a subgroup meta-analysis comparing quercetin's effect on endurance exercise performance versus VO(2max), no significant difference was found (P

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 46
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Athletes
  • Athletic Performance
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Exercise
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Oxygen Consumption
  • Physical Endurance
  • Quercetin

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: quercetin

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09