FRS Healthy Energy Products Do NOT Improve Performance

A recent study published by well-known and respected scientists in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism found that the active ingredient in FRS Healthy Energy Products did not improve performance. The active ingredient in FRS Healthy Energy Products is called Quercetin and it was given to a group of elite cyclists and compared to a placebo. The results of the study found that there were no benefits or differences with the use of Quercetin. This is in complete contrast to the claims made by FRS in their advertising. It is important to note that the researchers even gave subjects 4 times the amount that the manufacturer recommends on the product packaging in hopes that it might have a benefit-No such luck! The study abstract can be seen below:

Quercetin’s effect on cycling efficiency and substrate utilization

Abstract: Previous evidence suggests that quercetin supplementation increases performance in humans. We examined the effects of 3 weeks of quercetin supplementation on fuel utilization, gross efficiency (GE), and perceived effort during 3 h of cycling over 3 successive days. Forty cyclists were randomized into quercetin and placebo groups and tested for maximal oxygen consumption (53.2 ± 1.2 and 54.7 ± 1.1 mL·kg–1·min–1). For 3 weeks following maximal oxygen consumption testing, subjects supplemented either 1000 mg·day–1 quercetin or placebo during normal training. Following supplementation, subjects cycled at 57% maximum power for 3 h, on 3 successive days, using their own bicycles fitted to CompuTrainer Pro Model trainers (RacerMate, Seattle, Wash.). Metabolic measurements were taken every 30 min for each 3-h ride. Muscle biopsies obtained from the vastus lateralis immediately pre-exercise and postexercise on days 1 and 3 were analyzed for muscle glycogen content. Power output remained constant for all 3 exercise trials, but significant decreases over time were measured for GE, cadence, respiratory exchange ratio, blood glucose, and muscle glycogen. Significant increases were measured for heart rate and volume of oxygen consumption over time. No quercetin treatment effect was observed for any of the outcome measures in this study. These data indicate that GE is reduced during an exhausting 3-h bout of exercise. However, quercetin did not significantly affect any outcomes in these already well-trained subjects.