A new human clinical study found that a PEA ingredient marketed by Gencor as Levagen+ may help to improve exercise performance. The findings were published in Sports Medicine.

According to the authors of the study, supplements with inflammatory-modulating properties might be more suitable than over-the-counter medications for managing healthy inflammatory response, as over-the-counter medications may negatively impact skeletal muscle adaptations.

The study assessed either daily Levagen+ supplementation or treatment with a placebo for eight weeks, concurrent with an eight-week strength training protocol in 52 healthy, active women.

A daily dose of 350 mg of PEA significantly improved lower body power and isometric strength compared to the placebo group, by 17% and 5% respectively. There were no inhibitions observed in any measured strength training adaptations compared to the placebo group, unlike what is typically seen with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effects of PEA on the adaptive responses to strength training, and it is a great honor to have this data published in the Sports Medicine Journal,” said R.V. Venkatesh, co-founder and managing director at Gencor. “This is our second study investigating Levagen+ for active nutrition, and it continues to show great promise in this category.”

Levagen+ is a highly bioavailable form of PEA, formulated with Pharmako Biotechnologies’ LipiSperse. It has been studied for applications in joint health, sleep support, exercise recovery, immune health, and supporting a healthy inflammation response.