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Policosanol: Can it help heart patients and athletes alike?
Policosanol is a supplement derived from sugar cane wax and heavy alcohols and is best known for it’s cholesterol lowering effects. Although the cholesterol lowering properties of policosanol are impressive, perhaps of more interest to athletes is its potential ergogenic effect. In one study, 16 subjects were given 1mg/day of policosanol’s main active ingredient, octacosanol, every day for 8 weeks. The study demonstrated that those receiving the supplement had improved reaction time to visual stimuli as well as an improvement in grip strength. However, no differences in endurance time via cycle ergometry were found.
Certainly, policosnol (or its main active ingredient, octacosanol) provides benefit for those with high cholesterol, but its effect on reaction time is also intriguing from an athletes point of view. Sports such as baseball, tennis, and boxing require extreme precision, skill, and the ability to act and react quickly. Future studies should investigate the effect of using policosanol in a sport-specific setting
Policosanol is a supplement derived from sugar cane wax and heavy alcohols and is best known for it’s cholesterol lowering effects. Although the cholesterol lowering properties of policosanol are impressive, perhaps of more interest to athletes is its potential ergogenic effect. In one study, 16 subjects were given 1mg/day of policosanol’s main active ingredient, octacosanol, every day for 8 weeks. The study demonstrated that those receiving the supplement had improved reaction time to visual stimuli as well as an improvement in grip strength. However, no differences in endurance time via cycle ergometry were found.
Certainly, policosnol (or its main active ingredient, octacosanol) provides benefit for those with high cholesterol, but its effect on reaction time is also intriguing from an athletes point of view. Sports such as baseball, tennis, and boxing require extreme precision, skill, and the ability to act and react quickly. Future studies should investigate the effect of using policosanol in a sport-specific setting