Can Blueberries Make You a Faster Trail Runner?

Blueberries contain polyphenols that may influence oxidative stress, inflammation, blood flow, and recovery. A small International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism study tested whether those effects translate into trail-running performance.¹Giles, L. V., & Brandenburg, J. P. (2026). Seven Days of Highbush Blueberry Supplementation Improves Trail Running Performance in Experienced Runners Without Elevating Physiological or Perceptual Stress Markers. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, -1(aop), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2026-0036

Nine experienced runners completed a 13-mile (22.2-kilometer) simulated trail race after seven days of freeze-dried blueberry supplementation and after seven days of placebo in a crossover design.

• Runners ran faster after blueberry supplementation without any increase in race heart rate or perceived exertion.
• The blueberry condition also produced a lower resting heart rate and less tiredness, more efficient breathing/lung function, and preservation of muscle power 24 hours after the race, suggesting improved or expedited recovery.

What this means for runners

Blueberries are a reasonable food to include for general nutrition, but we do not know whether a specific seven-day protocol reliably improves trail performance. If you experiment, keep race fueling and gastrointestinal tolerance unchanged, and judge the result across multiple sessions rather than one good day. Even if you don’t experience a performance boost, you at least got a tasty treat.

References

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  Giles, L. V., & Brandenburg, J. P. (2026). Seven Days of Highbush Blueberry Supplementation Improves Trail Running Performance in Experienced Runners Without Elevating Physiological or Perceptual Stress Markers. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, -1(aop), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2026-0036 ↩︎