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June 20, 2006 Pycnogenol is effective in reducing cramps and muscle pain at rest and before and after exercise in both patients with vascular disease and in otherwise healthy athletes, according to the results of a study reported in the June issue of Angiology.
"With the millions of athletes worldwide, this truly is a profound breakthrough and extremely significant for all individuals interested in muscle cramp and pain relief with a natural approach," coauthor Peter Rohdewald, MD, from the University of Muenster in Germany, said in a news release. "These findings indicate that Pycnogenol can play an important role in sports by improving blood flow to the muscles and hastening post-exercise recovery."
In the first part of the study, 66 healthy subjects took four 50-mg Pycnogenol capsules (total dose, 200 mg/day) and were instructed to drink at least 1.5 L of water daily. The difference between number of cramp attacks recorded within the 2 weeks before starting Pycnogenol and the number of episodes during the fourth (P < .05) and fifth (P < .05) week were statistically significant.
In healthy subjects, the average number of cramping episodes decreased from 4.8 ± 1.2 events per week to 1.3 ± 1.1 at 4 weeks (P < .05). In patients with vascular disease, the episodes decreased from 6.3 ± 1.1 to 2.6 ± 0.4 per week (P < .05). In athletes, the number of episodes decreased from 8.6 ± 2 to 2.4 ± 0.5 (P <. 05). At 5 weeks, all 3 groups had decreases to levels lower than before consumption of Pycnogenol (P < .05).
During the second part of the study, 47 patients with intermittent claudication and diabetic microangiopathy were evaluated and treated for 1 week with Pycnogenol or placebo after a 2-week run-in phase. There was a significant decrease in cramping episodes and in muscular pain in those patients receiving pycnogenol. Patients with diabetic microangiopathy
had a 20.8% decrease in pain, and those with claudication had a 21% decrease while supplementing with pycnogenol. Patients receiving placebo had no decrease in pain.
"Pycnogenol improves the blood supply to muscle tissue creating a relief effect on muscle cramping and pain," Dr. Rohdewald says. "Nitric oxide (NO) a blood gas, is well known to enhance blood flow and Pycnogenol may be influencing the activity of NO. The insufficient production of NO is the common denominator responsible for impaired blood flow in vascular disease."
Angiology. 2006;57:331-339
