A New Zealand blackcurrant supplement that impressively lower barriers to exercise and improves sports performance up to 11%, has helped a New Zealand endurance runner equal the Backyard Ultra World Record of 667.31km.
Sam Harvey tied the world record for most laps in a single backyard ultra marathon, with 101 loops in the attritional ‘Dead Cow Gully’ race in Queensland, Australia, last week.
Billed as the ‘race with no finish line’, Sam was just one of two runners remaining five harrowing days after the race start on June 17, having completed a 6.7km lap every hour.
The Australian record was broken on lap 76 and the American record was passed on lap 85. Harvey Lewis, holder of the American record, made up the trio leading into Wednesday night but dropped out on loop 90.
Sam was forced to tap out of the race on lap 102 after medics suspected him of developing pneumonia, leaving Australian record-holder Phil Gore to complete and set a new world record of 102 laps, or 683km.
Reflecting on the race from his home in New Zealand, the 30-year-old said: “I still had more in the tank – stay tuned to see what I can do at Bigs – this isn’t over yet.”
Sam uses the Informed Sport-certified runner’s supplement CurraNZ to help with his extremely high training loads and racing ambition to dominate the sport of ultra-running.
The natural product provides clinically-relevant physiological enhancements that accelerate recovery and boost running performance, fat oxidation and blood flow.
Recently launched in Colorado in the US, CurraNZ is becoming popular with walkers, runners and endurance athletes internationally. Amongst its athlete advocates are US trail stars Dr Stefanie Flippin and Hayden Hawks, plus leading New Zealand runners Dan Jones – fifth at Western States 2023 -and by 2022 female winner, Ruth Croft.
Sam says: “I have been a big fan of blackcurrants because of their anthocyanin content for a long time now. I generally pop one CurraNZ a day for training and a couple for long races. The benefits have been evident – quick recovery and less fatigue.”
Arizona-based Clinical Professor and Physician, Dr Kenna Stephenson and an advisor to CurraNZ – www.curranzusa.com, says CurraNZ is a ‘high-value supplement’ that can be used as an adjunct to a healthy, active lifestyle.
Dr Stephenson, MD (HONS) a Clinical Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, said: “From three-times faster recovery from exercise and improving endurance, CurraNZ has been shown in research to lower common barriers to regular exercise, such as muscle soreness, fatigue and perceived exertion.
“Scientific interest in the field of polyphenols for their health and active nutrition applications has exploded in recent times, with the publication of over 11,000 studies in the last ten years.
“CurraNZ is demonstrating sophisticated vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Whilst these are linked to important health benefits, they also have repeatable and valuable applications for sports and exercise nutrition.”
Dr Stephenson, a highly respected author, speaker, researcher and physician based in Arizona, has been following the CurraNZ research for a year. She said: “As a physician who cares for patients through encouraging healthy dietary and lifestyle changes, rather than reliance on prescription drugs and procedures, I recommend a regular exercise program as part of any wellness strategy.
“I confidently recommend CurraNZ to help individuals to engage in a more active lifestyle. The anthocyanin-rich supplement increases cardiac function, energy metabolism and lowers barriers to exercise, which is beneficial to those unaccustomed to regular physical activity.
“This dietary supplement boosts anthocyanins which help the body in stress recovery and has favorable effects on the cardiovascular system and overall metabolism too.
“Every cell is a microcosm, and its functions and intelligence are dynamic. Nurturing our cells with plants through diet and supplements is vital to our well-being, and it is exciting to have this source of New Zealand blackcurrants so richly endowed with anthocyanins available in the USA.”
In summary, Dr Stephenson said: “In my opinion, the evidence now shows that nutritional support from anthocyanins – and particularly those found in CurraNZ – should be regarded as an essential part of any active person’s supplemental or dietary protocol, because of their array of benefits.”
Header image: Sam Harvey with Lazarus Lake, founder of the Backyard Ultra Marathon.
