Pump
Pine Bark Extract
Pine bark extract is a polyphenol source with limited evidence for blood-flow or endurance benefits.
How it counts: Not part of the score
We show it on the label and count it as disclosed, but it never affects Dose, any sub-score or the grade. The basis below explains why.
- Clinical dose
- No established clinical dose
- Safety ceiling
- —
- Evidence
- weak
- Category
- Pump
Evidence summary
Research confidence: low
No reference dose. Pine bark extract is a polyphenol (procyanidin) concentrate from French maritime pine. In 16 healthy young men, 180 mg a day for 2 weeks improved blood-vessel widening in the forearm (Nishioka 2007), and small, mostly manufacturer-linked studies report endurance gains after 100-200 mg a day for weeks. Placebo-controlled pre-workout evidence is limited to a few single-drink studies of 9-15 people, and an 800 mg/day trial found no performance benefit. Label doses (about 100 mg) are in the studied daily range, but the benefit at that dose is not established.
Research sources
- Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans (Nishioka et al., Hypertens Res 2007)(opens in new window)
- Acute antioxidant supplementation improves endurance performance in trained athletes (Bentley et al., Res Sports Med 2012)(opens in new window)
9 trained cyclists, double-blind crossover: one dose of a Pycnogenol-containing drink (Lactaway) 4 h before exercise; rode about 80 s longer to fatigue at 95% peak power. Pycnogenol dose not stated in the abstract.
- A Double-Blind, Cross-Over Study to Examine the Effects of Maritime Pine Extract on Exercise Performance and Postexercise Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, Muscle Soreness, and Damage (Aldret & Bellar, J Diet Suppl 2020)(opens in new window)
20 young men, 800 mg/day for 14 days before a VO2peak test: the abstract reports less post-exercise oxidative stress and no performance benefit.
- Evaluation of the effects of supplementation with Pycnogenol on fitness in normal subjects with the Army Physical Fitness Test and in performances of athletes in the 100-minute triathlon (Vinciguerra et al., J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2013)(opens in new window)
Non-randomized registry study: 100 mg/day for 8 weeks (fitness test) and 150 mg/day (triathletes) with larger training gains than controls. Not placebo-controlled; same research group as most Pycnogenol registry studies.
- Changes in muscle strength and endurance of professional cyclists due to PycnoRacer (Igawa et al., J Phys Ther Sci 2021)(opens in new window)
8 professional cyclists, PycnoRacer drink twice daily for 4 weeks, no placebo group: isokinetic flexor torque up ~8.5%.
- Pycnogenol French maritime pine bark extract in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical studies (Weichmann & Rohdewald, Front Nutr 2024)(opens in new window)
Narrative review of 39 placebo-controlled trials incl. four sports trials (e.g., 200 mg/day for 30 days lengthened treadmill endurance). First author was a Horphag Research (Pycnogenol owner) employee.
- Rhabdomyolysis Associated With Excess Pycnogenol (Maritime Pine Bark Extract): A Case Report (Kermanshah et al., Cureus 2025)(opens in new window)
Single case: CK 154,000 U/L after light exertion in a man taking more than the labeled Pycnogenol dose (Naranjo score 3, 'possible'). Safety signal only; not a dose limit.