Sixty-one (61) physically active persons, (13 females and 48 males ranging in age from 16 to 62 years; average age: 31.34 years) from diabetics exercising a few times a week to professional boxers, ingested large amounts of Udo's Oil Blend for approximately 8 weeks (48 to 113 days; average: 58.56 days). No concurrent changes were made to either their diet or their training. The initial dosage was 0.3 grams of Udo's Oil Blend per kg of body weight daily for the first 7 days; 0.45 grams per kg of body weight from day 8 to day 14; and 0.6 grams per kg of body weight onward.

Measured in terms of energy, this represents an extra 5.1 Kcal per kg of body weight that participants received daily in the form of Udo's Oil Blend from day 15 onward.

The participants' subjective responses to ingestion of Udo's Oil Blend in terms of:

• athletic performance,
• general well-being,
• and side effects

were obtained and compiled through questionnaires and interviews. Participants were asked to fill out questionnaires after 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and upon cessation of the trial. Interviews were carried out after 4 weeks of supplementation and upon cessation of the trial. Valid information on subjective responses was obtained from 47 of the 6l persons who initially enrolled in the trial.

Thirty-five (35) out of the 47 participants, who gave reliable feedback to the questionnaires and interviews, experienced subjective improvement in athletic performance; 31 participants experienced improvement in general well being. It should also be noted that 21 of the 47 participants did experience side effects from ingesting the oil.

 

Athletic performance: subjective improvement:

Improvement in:	No.
stamina and endurance	27
strength	2
recovery time after physical activity	29
inflammation	12
increases in lean mass	10
other	12

As shown, 3/4 of the participants experienced improvement in athletic performance by ingesting Udo's Oil Blend. The greatest effects seemed to be on stamina and endurance, as well as a decrease in recovery time after training and competitions..

One runner went from running a total of approximately 90 km a week, to running a total of l47 km a week, without reaching the point of overstraining. Previous attempts to increase the total km run per week to more than 90 km were unsuccessful because he would overtrain and thus wear himself down.

A cyclist increased his 60-80 km a day to a total of l00-l20 km a day without reaching the point of overtraining. He also experienced a significant improvement in general well being, including healing of permanent sitting sores and anal fissures.

One amateur boxer increased his stamina and endurance and went from being able to do 1.5-hour training sessions before getting exhausted, to doing 2.5-hour training sessions before reaching exhaustion.

At gatherings with the Danish National Triathlon Team, one triathlete was able to train intensively all day long seven days in a row at Club La Santa Sport in Lanzarote without exhausting himself. Before entering the trial, he had attended training camps at Club La Santa Sport with the Danish national team several times a year for several years in a row. At that time, he was only able to train intensively all day long for 3-4 days in a row before exhausting himself and hence being forced to train at a much lower intensity for the remainder of the week. He went to Club La Santa Sport with the Danish national team twice while participating in the trial and experienced these improvements in stamina and endurance as well as the decrease in recovery time. This enabled him to train intensively all day for all 7 days both times, without reaching the point of exhaustion.

Research shows that essential fatty acids (EFAs) and some of the eicosanoids produced from several of these EFAs can improve various biochemical and physiological reactions in the body. These reactions play key roles in enhancing athletic performance. This includes an increase in blood flow and oxygenation of tissues, as well as an increase in the ability to absorb and utilize oxygen (VO2 max) . These effects of EFAs on human physiology and biochemistry could explain why so many of the participants in the trial experienced improvement in stamina and endurance, as well as a decrease in recovery time after physical exertion. The anti-inflammatory effects of EFAs likely played a role in the decrease in recovery time as well. Mild inflammation occurs in various tissues - muscles, joints, connective tissue, etc. - after physical exercise when the immune system becomes engaged in breaking down dead and damaged cells. If this post-exercise inflammatory state becomes too pronounced, healthy cells can also get damaged. Therefore the recovery time increases because healthy tissue is also being destroyed by the immune system. Consequently, an over-pronounced post-training inflammatory state can occur due to the following:

• a lack of EFAs
• an over-production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids from arachidonic acid
• a lack of antioxidants

The oil blend used in the trial addresses all the above problems. Furthermore, EFAs increase the output of human Growth hormone (hGh) after physical exercise and improve the binding of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) to its receptors in cell membranes. Human Growth hormone and IGF-1 are also involved in processes during the recovery phase after physical exercise.

A 50-year old male participant in the trial experienced the most dramatic decrease in inflammation. As a young elite swimmer he had done a lot of weight resistance training. At the age of 35 he injured both knees and one shoulder in an accident and as a result suffered from continuous inflammation in both knees and especially in the shoulder. He would sometimes have trouble sleeping because of the pain in the shoulder. Although he continued doing weight resistance training, the inflammation in his shoulder severely limited the duration and intensity of the training.

When he entered the trial he could train no more than twice a week, or the pain in the shoulder would become too intense. He experienced significant decreases in inflammation after using the oil blend for 4 weeks. After 8 weeks his knees and shoulder were pain-free even when he trained intensively. He consequently increased the number of workouts to 3 or 4 times a week without the pain coming back.

• Three other participants, all males older than 40 (two of them type II diabetics) had problems with sore, creaky knees. These conditions either improved or disappeared altogether after 8 weeks of supplementation.
  
  
• One (1) participant had problems with hypermobile joints. The condition improved during the 8 weeks of the trial to the extent that he could put stress on his joints, which would have previously caused inflammation.
  
  
• Four (4) participants did not experience any improvement in their inflammatory conditions. However, two (2) of them did not carry on for the full 8 weeks of the trial. One (1) participant dropped out of the trial after only 2 weeks because she stopped playing basketball at top-level and was thus not exercising at the same level as when she entered the trial. The other participant, who had had knee surgery shortly before entering the trial, was excluded from the trial because he started using powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for his knee problem. The other 2 participants who did not experience any improvement in their inflammatory condition often used over the counter NSAIDs. This could have possibly dampened the potential anti-inflammatory effects of Udo's Oil Blend, since NSAIDs, such as aspirin, block the conversion of long chain derivatives of EFAs into eicosanoids, inflammatory as well as anti-inflammatory.

The observed anti-inflammatory effects must be attributed to an increased production of Series-1 and Series-3 eicosanoids from dihommo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). This also indicates that the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) in Udo's Oil Blend were actually converted into the above-mentioned long chain derivatives (GLA and EPA).

It is interesting to note that several participants in the trial who experienced positive anti-inflammatory effects from ingesting the oil blend were more than 40 years old and type II diabetics. There is a general assumption that the conversion of ALA and LA to long-chain derivatives (GLA and EPA) decreases dramatically after the age of 40 or in the case of diabetes, and that supplementation with relatively large amounts of pre-formed GLA and EPA is required to impact eicosanoid production in such patients. This was not the case with the older, type II diabetic participants in the trial. The fact that they experienced such improvements in their inflammatory conditions suggests they must have converted ALA and LA into EPA and GLA in spite of their older age and being type II diabetics.

This is another interesting observation since the general assumption is that fat makes one fat regardless of the quality or type of fat ingested. This did not prove to be the case in this trial.

• The most dramatic increase in lean mass occurred in a male type I diabetic. He had been underweight with a BMI below 20 for several years, and had made several unsuccessful attempts to put on weight. During the 3 months before entering the trial he was training with boxing coach Ivor de Lima. His fitness program aimed specifically at increasing lean mass. Both protein powders and creatine were used concurrently but had no significant impact on his weight or lean mass. The creatine did however slightly improve his glycemic control and decreased the recovery time after each training session. Four (4) weeks into the trial using the oil blend and creatine concurrently, he had put on 4 - 5 kg, primarily lean mass. Furthermore his glycemic control was much improved. Consequently he cut his insulin dose to half and changed to a slower acting type, in order to avoid hypoglycemia. After completing the trial he went off the oil blend and creatine twice. On both occasions he lost enough lean mass that his BMI dropped to under 20, and lost glycemic control. To avoid episodes of hyperglycemia he doubled the insulin dose and changed back to a faster acting type again. On both occasions he was able to regain glycemic control and to increase his lean mass sufficiently to get his BMI above 20, by restarting on the combination of creatine and Udo's Oil Blend.
  
  
• The runner mentioned above (who increased his 90 km a week to l47 km a week), also experienced an increase in lean mass by about 3 kg during the same time period.
  
  
• Another participant put on 3 kg, mainly in the form of lean mass, while experiencing side effects in the form of digestive upsets.

Although the general understanding is that fat makes one fat, the above-mentioned increases in lean mass are easily explained. EFAs can increase the production of human growth hormone and the binding of IGF-1 to its receptors, which in turn stimulate increases in lean mass. There are in fact positive accounts of EFA-enriched protein formulas that have prevented emaciation in cancer patients and even brought about an increase in lean mass, whereas the protein formulas without the addition of EFAs could not prevent emaciation.

It is also possible that decreased inflammation could lead to increased nitrogen retention since less tissue is broken down by an overly pronounced post-exercise inflammatory state. The fact that EFAs can increase lean mass adds an interesting perspective, and challenges the generally accepted perceptions on weight loss.

Improvements in General Well Being . . . A good number of participants experienced improved sleep. They either slept more soundly or had fewer problems falling asleep.

Improvement in	No.
sleep	15
concentration	14
energy levels	25
inflammation	6
mood	5
weight	8
skin	11

• The type I diabetic referred to above slept so soundly, that he was able to dream and remember his dreams in the morning. Before entering the trial he had problems sleeping and rarely slept soundly enough to dream.
  
  
• One of the type II diabetic participants had problems falling asleep before entering the trial, and his condition was further complicated by the use of diuretics he took to treat edema caused by hypertension. He therefore had to get up several times during the night to go to the bathroom. After entering the trial he no longer had problems falling asleep. Although he still had to get up as often during the night to go to the bathroom, he fell back asleep right away and was thus well rested in the morning.
  
  
• Only one participant experienced the opposite effect: He slept more lightly after entering the trial and woke up more often during the night. However in spite of sleeping more lightly and waking up more often, he did not feel less rested in the morning.
  
  
• Some participants were able to function on less sleep than before entering the trial without feeling more tired.

There are several possible biochemical explanations for the above. It is possible that supplementation with EFAs in the form of Udo's Oil Blend either increased the synthesis of melatonin at night time or, more likely, that the receptors for melatonin in the central nervous system (CNS) worked better due to increased membrane fluidity. Increased membrane fluidity, which can result from the incorporation of more long-chain derivatives of EFAs (primarily EPA, DHA and AA) into phospholipids, generally improves the functioning of receptors for various signaling substances such as hormones, including melatonin.

Several participants also experienced improved concentration. This is most likely caused by the EFAs' positive effect on the CNS as a whole. The CNS needs to be supplied with sufficient amounts of DHA and AA for optimal mental functioning.

• One participant worked at an emergency service center where he took incoming calls. While participating in the trial he felt much more calm and clear headed in stressful situations such as when he had to process and relay information from several incoming calls at once.

Some of the most dramatic cases were among the type II diabetic participants.

• One participant reported "feeling young again". Before entering the trial he was often in low spirits and rarely felt like doing anything or going anywhere. His mood changed during the trial along with concurrent increases in his general energy level. His mood changes were so obvious that the other type II diabetics he worked out with, his wife, as well as his instructor - boxing coach Ivor de Lima - noticed and commented on it.
  Another type II diabetic had a similar experience while participating in the trial.
• He went from being very quiet and introverted, to being much more extroverted, active and happy. Moreover, he was no longer easily angered or irritated and had much more mental energy that allowed him to keep up a grueling daily regimen without getting burnt out. On weekdays he'd go to work during the day, then work out and take care of his cancer stricken brother in the evening without breaking down mentally.

These effects on mood must once again be attributed to supplying the CNS with sufficient EFAs for both structural and functional needs, and the adequate conversion of these EFAs into the long-chain derivatives that predominate in the CNS, mainly DHA and AA.

As can be seen from the table above, several participants in the trial also reported increases in general energy levels. We can assume that this is attributable to the same causes responsible for the observed improvement in stamina and endurance accompanied by decreased post-practice recovery time. The most consistent observation on the general increase in energy levels was the sudden lack of need for an afternoon nap that participants used to take when time allowed.

Some participants experienced improved skin condition while participating in the trial. Although the participants did not have any particular skin problems before entering the trial, their skin did become less prone to dryness and itching after entering the trial. Beneficial effects of EFAs on skin conditions are well known and documented.

In most cases, the side effects were short lived. There were mostly transient cases of nausea or digestive problems when initially increasing the dosage of the oil blend to 0.6 grams per kg of body weight daily. In a few cases the dosage of the oil blend had to be reduced to 0.45 grams or 0.3 grams per kg of body weight daily to curtail the side effects.

Problem	No.
nausea	8
tiredness	10
dizziness	7
dysglycemia	4
increased weight	6
other	9

Only in 5 cases were the side effects serious enough to stop the participants' participation in the trial before completing the 8 weeks. Three (3) other participants - all kickboxers - put on 1-2 kg of weight. It was not determined whether it was lean mass or fat, however they went from being at the top of their weight class to the bottom of the next weight class up, which was unacceptable. Two (2) of them did experience a concurrent improvement in athletic performance and general well-being. Another kickboxer put on several kg of body weight. Again it was not determined if it was lean mass or fat. However, since he went on vacation during his participation in the trial, he was only able to keep up his running training, and not his usual boxing practices and weight resistance training, so the weight gain could be attributed to him exercising less. Beside the weight gain, this kickboxer experienced increased energy levels and a much reduced need for sleep.

The experiences with the diabetics participating in the trial - one (1) participant being type I and four (4) participants being type II - should be taken note of. The type I diabetic experienced several episodes of hypoglycemia a few weeks into the trial and had to decrease the amount of insulin to half the usual dosage, and change from a fast acting form to a slow-acting form of insulin. Although a decreased need for insulin in a type I diabetic can hardly be considered a side effect, it is something that type I diabetics should keep in mind when using Udo's Oil Blend, as it can cause episodes of hypoglycemia in such patients.

The four (4) type II diabetic participants experienced increases in non-fasting glucose levels when on the highest dosage of 0.6 grams of the oil blend per kg of body weight. In all cases this problem was resolved by lowering the dosage to between 0.3 and 0.45 grams per kg of body weight. Apart from increases in non-fasting glucose levels, all type II diabetic participants experienced a vast improvement in athletic performance and general well being, even when taking the 0.6 grams of the oil blend per kg of body weight.

It is very likely that the increase in non-fasting glucose levels observed in the type II diabetics is due to the changes in energy metabolism, which can be induced by EFAs. Research shows that an increase in the amount of EFAs in tissues can actually affect energy metabolism so that more fat is burned concurrently with a decrease in the rate of fat deposition. Concurrently, there is a decreased oxidation of glucose along with an increased deposition of glycogen. In type II diabetics, such a modification of energy metabolism by supplementing with EFAs could very likely result in increased non-fasting glucose: Since more fat is oxidized to provide energy, fewer carbohydrates are used. This would result in higher blood glucose levels unless the intake of carbohydrates is concurrently decreased.

In general the side effects were of a transient and non-problematic nature. When not, they were fully curtailed by reducing the dosage of the oil blend. In several cases, participants actually decided to live with the side effects because they were outweighed by the benefits experienced.

The following colored bar graphs further illustrate the measured side effects and subjective benefits discussed above. Below is a link and brief description for each graph; these graphs constitute page 7 of the study.

	GRAPH #1 . . .	Side Effects: Overall Occurrence
	GRAPH #2 . . .	Side-Effects by Type
	GRAPH #3 . . .	Side-Effects, Duration Not Ascertained
	GRAPH #4 . . .	Persistent Side-Effects by Type
	GRAPH #5 . . .	Side-Effects Decreased by Lowering Dosage
	GRAPH #6 . . .	Transient Side-Effects by Type
	GRAPH #7 . . .	Subjective Benefits: Overview
	GRAPH #8 . . .	Subjective Benefits: Athletic Performance
	GRAPH #9 . . .	Subjective Benefits: Decrease in Inflammation
	GRAPH #10 . . .	Subjective Benefits: Effect on Strength
	GRAPH #11 . . .	Subjective Benefits: General Well-Being