A new study confirms More strength gains thanks to spinach! That’s why the Free University of Berlin is now calling for spinach to be included in the doping list.
There is no denying that spinach is healthy: the green vegetable provides an incredible 800 micrograms of vitamin A per 100 grams of spinach – perfect for good eyesight and healthy skin. In addition, spinach contains all the important minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium, plenty of iron, and vitamins A, C, and E, which have a positive effect on the nerves, healthy cells, and the immune system. In addition, the consumption of spinach promotes blood formation and gently drains the body.
New human study on the effects of spinach
The Freie Universität Berlin, in cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), carried out a human study in which the effect of a substance contained in spinach, ecdysterone, was tested (1).
The double-blind study involved 46 people who took different doses of spinach extract or a placebo for 10 weeks—neither the researchers nor the participants knew who was taking which dose. The maximum dose of ecdysterone was 800 milligrams, which is about 6.6 kilograms of spinach.
At the beginning and end of the study, the muscle mass and the strength of the classic bench press were determined for all test participants. There was a clear difference here: The subjects who took ecdysterone for ten weeks had a significantly higher increase in muscle mass. Bench press performance also increased significantly, which confirms the performance-enhancing effect of the spinach ingredient.
Will athletes now be banned from leafy greens?
Since the substance ecdysterone can lead to a significant increase in muscle mass and strength in connection with the sport, the researchers at Freie Universität Berlin recommend including ecdysterone in the doping list, since a large amount of spinach can act as a classic doping agent. The World Anti-Doping Agency, which supported the study financially, ultimately decides whether this case will actually occur. One of the hurdles that could arise with such a ban is doping control: Here it should be possible to check whether the athletes have taken ecdysterone tablets or simply eaten a lot of spinach.
The scientist Maria Parr explains: “The lower dose in our experiment, i.e. two capsules per day, corresponds to around 250 grams to four kilograms of spinach leaves per day, depending on the variety. This is the amount you would have to eat every day for ten weeks to consume the same amount as some subjects in our study. In order to achieve the effect of the higher dose administered, one to 16 kilos of spinach would have to be consumed.”
