The researchers from Lithuanian Sports University concluded that while the findings demonstrated that the supplement increases sulforaphane bioavailability, “its acute effects on oxidative stress modulation are unlikely to be evident in the context of a relatively mild exercise bout, where oxidative stress is mild and transient.”
How broccoli compounds may support exercise
Intense exercise increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress, which can induce fatigue and hinder recovery.
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli contain the compound sulforaphane, a potent antioxidant that studies suggest may help prevent cardiovascular diseases, obesity, cancer and diabetes. While the potential health benefits of sulforophane are well-documented, its effects on exercise-induced oxidative stress have not been as widely studied.
Broccoli supplementation and consumption of cruciferous vegetables can also increase microbial diversity, improving nutrient metabolism and gut barrier integrity.
“Such adaptations could facilitate more efficient gut–blood exchange of metabolites, including lactate and free fatty acids, thereby potentially enhancing systemic metabolic responses, exercise capacity, and post-exercise recovery,” the researchers noted.
Study details
The researchers assigned 17 healthy males between the ages of 18 and 37 to receive either 10 grams of broccoli powder containing 0.5% mustard seed powder mixed into an oat milk or orange juice drink or a placebo drink. The supplementation period commenced 14 days prior to the exercise protocol and concluded 3 hours before testing.
The exercise protocol involved an incremental bike ergometer test to voluntary exhaustion. At various timepoints before, during and after the exercise, the researchers measured urinary markers of sulforaphane, blood lactate, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), which is an oxidative stress marker, and muscle power measured by a counter-movement vertical jump (CMJ).
They reported that “despite urine sulforaphane output being markedly higher following broccoli supplementation (p < 0.05), which confirms effective absorption and systemic availability of the compound, this did not influence exercise-induced changes in plasma MDA concentration, blood lactate dynamics, exercise test performance or functional recovery measured as muscle power via CMJ performance”.
The study noted that urinary sulforaphane may not reflect levels in muscles, and the modest exercise challenge may mean that the body’s own antioxidant systems were maintaining homeostasis without requiring additional help from sulforaphane. Additionally, the metabolic pathways through which sulforaphane exerts its effects are enhanced over time, and the short study time may not fully reflect the supplement’s potential.
“Future studies could explore populations with higher baseline oxidative stress levels, such as sedentary, older, metabolically challenged or hazardous environment-exposed individuals, in whom sulforaphane potential might be disclosed more evidently,” the researchers wrote.
Source: Antioxidants, 2026, 15(3), 379; doi: 10.3390/antiox15030379. “Effects of Short-Term Broccoli Powder Supplementation on Acute Oxidative Stress and Recovery Following a Metabolically Demanding Exercise Session”. Authors: L. Cesanelli, et al.
