Bee pollen is rich in nutrients, but there's little evidence that it improves athletic performance.
Bee pollen has a high concentration of nutrients. Specifically, it is rich in lecithin, a phospholipid essential for the metabolism of fats; antioxidants including vitamin C; and flavanoids such as quercetin. It is also contains carotenoids, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes and essential amino acids.
Bee Pollen and Athletic Performance
While bee pollen contains many nutrients, there is little evidence that it improves athletic performance. The studies done have been relatively small, but each has concluded that bee pollen is no more effective on athletic performance than a placebo.
Twenty Adolescent Swimmers Performance Tested
There is little evidence that bee pollen has any beneficial effect on swimmers' performances.
In 1982 a study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine describing a six-week study comparing the performance of 20 adolescent swimmers, some of whom took bee pollen and the others who took a placebo. No statistically valid evidence was found indicating that there was any difference in the performance of the two groups.
Bee Pollen Study Done on Track Runners
Studies indicate that bee pollen doesn't affect athletic performance.
In 1978 scientists at Louisiana State University did a 12-week, double-blind study involving 18 cross-country runners. The runners were randomly divided into three groups. The first group took bee pollen, the second took protein extracts, and the third group was given a placebo. The runners' average speeds were tested during three-mile runs, at the beginning of the 12 weeks and at the end. The study concluded that there were no statistical differences between the athletic performance of the groups who took bee pollen, protein extracts or the placebo.
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