4. Discussion
RPE, fatigue, LT2, HT
OXIDATIVE STRESS
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to undertake research focusing on OliP in an exercise domain and aligns with concurrent research pertinent to olive-derived phytonutrients [Regarding methodological approaches to the demanding aerobic session, steady-state moderate intensity exercise (60–70% Consumption of OliP may therefore be of relevance to individuals who engage in regular aerobic exercise, considering the negligible dietary HT content in both the pre-visit control period and habitual diet assessments for both cohorts. Plasma HT concentrations were not detected at baseline (pre-supplementation), or post PL, but were significantly elevated in response to the OliP intervention. Therefore, any impact on aerobic exercise may be associated with increased systemic HT concentrations, or gut-derived metabolites. At present, however, there is a paucity of scientific research surrounding HT and exercise performance. Additionally, there does not appear to be any existing research evidencing the effects of HT on aerobic running performance in humans. Plant-based polyphenols have peaked scientific interest in recent years [It is also important to outline the current debate surrounding the efficacy of antioxidant and polyphenol supplementation as an exercise or training aid. Adaptations from exercise are dependent, at least partially, on individual oxidative stress responses [Findings from this study demonstrated a ~17% improvement in τ at the onset of exercise for OliP. τ reflects the speed at which the steady-state is achieved [Consumption of OliP in the dose provided also resulted a significant decrease (−2.7%) in A relevant parameter of aerobic performance is the efficiency of movement, i.e., exercise economy [Despite OliP presenting no significant impact on respiratory mechanisms at LT2, a poignant finding was the observed significant reduction in RPE at this intensity. Mechanisms for this are unclear, however it is feasible that there may be a link to a reduction in brain oxygenation that is present during intensive exercise and directly associated with an increase of fatigue (subjectively quantified as perceived exertion) [Similarly, recovery was largely unaffected based upon off-kinetic modeling; however, current findings did present a −9.4% decrease in T50% for OliP compared with a −5.6% decrease in PL, during the initial recovery period from sub-maximal exercise. This in itself warrants further investigation considering that previous findings utilizing a similar exercise intensity (70% maximum aerobic power) did not find a benefit to 