A new study published in the journal Nutrients found that eating 25 grams of freeze-dried blueberries — the equivalent of one cup of natural blueberries — every day can improve athletic performance and burn more body fat while exercising.
Scientists based at California Polytechnic State University and Gonzaga University’s Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management wanted to test if a concentrated amount of blueberries could speed up the process of fat oxidation — when the body breaks down fatty acids for energy when exercising.
“This study was the first to investigate whether WB consumption would elicit greater FA-ox rates during an exercise protocol aimed to maximize fat oxidation using moderate-intensity exercise in healthy, trained males,” the study said.
Blueberries have high levels of an antioxidant called anthocyanin, which recent studies have suggested may increase fat oxidation.
