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Plant-Based Supplementation, Endurance Performance and Fatigue

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2022) | Viewed by 22417

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Dr. Stephen Ives

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Guest Editor

Department of Health and Human Physiological Sciences, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USA
Interests: nutrition; muscle; exercise science; cardiovascular physiology; exercise physiology; atherosclerosis; exercise
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Christopher Kotarsky

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Guest Editor

Department of Health and Human Physiological Sciences, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USA
Interests: nutrition; muscle; exercise science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The acute and chronic demands of exercise training can impose a heavy physiological cost, which ultimately leads to greater adaptation and capacity. However, acutely high-intensity training and/or high-volume training can dramatically elevate free radicals, leading to oxidative stress and inflammation. In periods of such intense training or competition, inadequate recovery between sessions may impair recovery from the physical and subsequent physiological challenge. The regular mismatch between training stimulus and recovery, as well as a desire to maximize the responses to training, has led athletes to modulate their nutritional strategies. One such strategy is supplementing their diet with specific macronutrients (e.g., protein), micronutrients (e.g., vitamins), and increasingly other factors, such as adaptogens, nootropics, and antioxidants. In parallel, there is increasing demand, and some evidence, for exploring and using plant-based nutrients due to nutritional or lifestyle choices as well as documented efficacy of biomolecules with known physiological targets. Accordingly, plant-based supplementation is growing in popularity, even though rigorous translational studies in humans are often lacking.

This Special Issue seeks submissions of manuscripts on original research or analytical reviews on the effects of plant-based supplementation on exercise performance and/or fatigue. Though work in humans may be preferential in translational strength, mechanistic work in animals may also prove valuable fodder for further work in humans and is welcomed.

Dr. Stephen Ives
Dr. Christopher Kotarsky
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

plant-based
endurance
exercise
sport
athletes
supplementation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 954 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Endurance Running Performance Following Haskap Berry (Lonicera caerulea L.) Ingestion

by Glyn Howatson, Gemma C. Snaith, Rachel Kimble, Gavin Cowper and Karen M. Keane

Nutrients 2022, 14(4), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14040780 - 13 Feb 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 8672

Abstract

Background: Food high in (poly)phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, have the potential to improve exercise recovery and exercise performance. Haskap berries are rich in anthocyanins, but no research has examined the potential to improve human performance. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of Haskap berry on parameters of endurance running performance. Methods: Using a double-blind, placebo controlled, independent groups design, 30 male recreational runners (mean ± SD age, 33 ± 7 years; stature, 178.2 ± 7.2 cm; mass, 77.7 ± 10.6 kg;

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O_2peak, 52.2 ± 6.6 mL/kg/min) volunteered to participate. Following familiarisation, volunteers visited the laboratory twice (separated by seven days) to assess submaximal, maximal and 5 km time trial running performance. After the first visit, volunteers were randomly assigned to consume either the Haskap berry intervention or an isocaloric placebo control. Results: There were modest changes in heart rate and

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O₂ at submaximal intensities (p < 0.05). Time to exhaustion during the

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O_2peak test was longer in the Haskap group by 20 s (p = 0.031). Additionally, 5 km time trial performance was improved in the Haskap group by ~21 s (p = 0.016), which equated to a 0.25 km/h increase in mean running speed compared to the placebo control; this represented a >2% improvement in running performance. Conclusions: The application of this newly identified functional food to athletes has the capacity to improve endurance running performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Supplementation, Endurance Performance and Fatigue)

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15 pages, 2104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Capsaicin and Its Effect on Exercise Performance, Fatigue and Inflammation after Exercise

by Gaia Giuriato, Massimo Venturelli, Alexs Matias, Edgard M. K. V. K. Soares, Jessica Gaetgens, Kimberley A. Frederick and Stephen J. Ives

Nutrients 2022, 14(2), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14020232 - 6 Jan 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5272

Abstract

Capsaicin (CAP) activates the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV₁) channel on sensory neurons, improving ATP production, vascular function, fatigue resistance, and thus exercise performance. However, the underlying mechanisms of CAP-induced ergogenic effects and fatigue-resistance, remain elusive. To evaluate the potential anti-fatigue effects of CAP, 10 young healthy males performed constant-load cycling exercise time to exhaustion (TTE) trials (85% maximal work rate) after ingestion of placebo (PL; fiber) or CAP capsules in a blinded, counterbalanced, crossover design, while cardiorespiratory responses were monitored. Fatigue was assessed with the interpolated twitch technique, pre-post exercise, during isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVC). No significant differences (p > 0.05) were detected in cardiorespiratory responses and self-reported fatigue (RPE scale) during the time trial or in TTE (375 ± 26 and 327 ± 36 s, respectively). CAP attenuated the reduction in potentiated twitch (PL: −52 ± 6 vs. CAP: −42 ± 11%, p = 0.037), and tended to attenuate the decline in maximal relaxation rate (PL: −47 ± 33 vs. CAP: −29 ± 68%, p = 0.057), but not maximal rate of force development, MVC, or voluntary muscle activation. Thus, CAP might attenuate neuromuscular fatigue through alterations in afferent signaling or neuromuscular relaxation kinetics, perhaps mediated via the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase (SERCA) pumps, thereby increasing the rate of Ca²⁺ reuptake and relaxation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Supplementation, Endurance Performance and Fatigue)

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15 pages, 3572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ergogenic Effects of Green Tea Combined with Isolated Soy Protein on Increasing Muscle Mass and Exercise Performance in Resistance-Trained Mice

by Mon-Chien Lee, Yi-Ju Hsu, Li-Hsuan Yang, Chi-Chang Huang and Chun-Sheng Ho

Nutrients 2021, 13(12), 4547; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124547 - 18 Dec 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3630

Abstract

It is well known that supplementation with high protein after exercise can effectively promote muscle synthesis and repair, while green tea is rich in catechins that have antioxidant effects. We aimed to explore the effects of green tea combined with isolated soy protein on increase muscle mass in resistance-trained mice. A total of 32 male ICR mice (8-weeks old) were divided into four groups (n = 8/group), sedentary control group (SC), isolated soy protein with green tea group (ISPG), resistance training group (RT), isolated soy protein and green tea combine with resistance training group (ISPG + RT). All mice received control or ISPG by oral gavage for four consecutive weeks. Forelimb grip and exhaustive swimming time were used for exercise performance evaluation. In biochemical profile, we analyzed lactate, ammonia, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and glucose and muscle damage index creatine kinase (CK) after exercise as biochemical parameters of exercise fatigue. The grip strength, muscular endurance, and exhaustive swimming time of the ISPG + RT group were significantly increased than other groups (p < 0.05), and also significantly decreased in serum lactate and ammonia levels (p < 0.05, respectively). The ISP + RT group was not only increased in quadriceps weight, (p < 0.05) but also decreased EFP (p < 0.05). We recommend using a 4-week supplementation with ISPG, combined with RT, to increase muscle mass, exercise performance, glycogen storage, and reduce fatigue biochemical parameters after exercise. The benefits of long-term supplementation or application to human supplementation can be further explored in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Supplementation, Endurance Performance and Fatigue)

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12 pages, 1386 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Korean Red Ginseng Ameliorates Fatigue via Modulation of 5-HT and Corticosterone in a Sleep-Deprived Mouse Model

by Ji-Yun Kang, Do-Young Kim, Jin-Seok Lee, Seung-Ju Hwang, Geon-Ho Kim, Sun-Hee Hyun and Chang-Gue Son

Nutrients 2021, 13(9), 3121; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093121 - 6 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4104

Abstract

Central fatigue, which is neuromuscular dysfunction associated with neurochemical alterations, is an important clinical issue related to pathologic fatigue. This study aimed to investigate the anti-central fatigue effect of Korean red ginseng (KRG) and its underlying mechanism. Male BALB/c mice (8 weeks old) were subjected to periodic sleep deprivation (SD) for 6 cycles (forced wakefulness for 2 days + 1 normal day per cycle). Simultaneously, the mice were administered KRG (0, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg) or ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg). After all cycles, the rotarod and grip strength tests were performed, and then the changes regarding stress- and neurotransmitter-related parameters in serum and brain tissue were evaluated. Six cycles of SD notably deteriorated exercise performance in both the rotarod and grip strength tests, while KRG administration significantly ameliorated these alterations. KRG also significantly attenuated the SD-induced depletion of serum corticosterone. The levels of main neurotransmitters related to the sleep/wake cycle were markedly altered (serotonin was overproduced while dopamine levels were decreased) by SD, and KRG significantly attenuated these alterations through relevant molecules including brain-derived neurotropic factor and serotonin transporter. This study demonstrated the anti-fatigue effects of KRG in an SD mouse model, indicating the clinical relevance of KRG. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Supplementation, Endurance Performance and Fatigue)

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