Liposomal nanotechnology - A new frontier for sport and exercise nutrition?

Abstract

There are many orally ingested nutrients which cannot be fully absorbed by the human body. For this reason scientists have been experimenting with different techniques to improve nutrient bioavailability. Among these techniques microencapsulation has been extensively used in industry in recent years, especially liposomal technology. Briefly, polar lipids are used to create spherical capsules, called liposomes, where solids, liquids or gaseous materials compounds can be entrapped. This technique is used to stabilize certain compounds in nutritional supplements and fortified foods, which would otherwise slowly degrade and lose their nutritional value, as well as improve their bioavailability. Although there has been limited research investigating nutrients that potentially might impact exercise performance (e.g. liposomal vitamin C and liposomal iron), there is currently no published evidence for the use of liposomal supplementation in this context. With the potential to augment nutrient bioavailability, further research should consider the application of liposomal formulations as a strategy to improve exercise performance.