Herbal medicine for sports: a review

Abstract

The use of herbal medicinal products and supplements has increased during last decades. At present, some herbs are used to enhance muscle strength and body mass. Emergent evidence suggests that the health benefits from plants are attributed to their bioactive compounds such as Polyphenols, Terpenoids, and Alkaloids which have several physiological effects on the human body. At times, manufacturers launch numerous products with banned ingredient inside with inappropriate amounts or fake supplement inducing harmful side effect. Unfortunately up to date, there is no guarantee that herbal supplements are safe for anyone to use and it has not helped to clear the confusion surrounding the herbal use in sport field especially. Hence, the purpose of this review is to provide guidance on the efficacy and side effect of most used plants in sport. We have identified plants according to the following categories: Ginseng, alkaloids, and other purported herbal ergogenics such as Tribulus Terrestris, Cordyceps Sinensis. We found that most herbal supplement effects are likely due to activation of the central nervous system via stimulation of catecholamines. Ginseng was used as an endurance performance enhancer, while alkaloids supplementation resulted in improvements in sprint and cycling intense exercises. Despite it is prohibited, small amount of ephedrine was usually used in combination with caffeine to enhance muscle strength in trained individuals. Some other alkaloids such as green tea extracts have been used to improve body mass and composition in athletes. Other herb (i.e. Rhodiola, Astragalus) help relieve muscle and joint pain, but results about their effects on exercise performance are missing.

A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis on a Disease in TCM: Astragalus Injection for Gathering Qi Depression

“…Meanwhile, 6-minute walking test is a gold indicator for assessing cardiopulmonary functions by test activity tolerance. Qi is considered to be the most essential substance in human beings, directly reflecting life activities and activity tolerance, and Astragalus is one of the first choices for Qi in TCM theory, especially good at relieving fatigue and improving activity tolerance [49]. In this study, Astragalus injection can reduce the mortality and increase the distance of 6-minutes walking test of patients with Zong Qi depression, which is in line with the theory of traditional Chinese medicine.…”

<p>The Use of a New Food-Grade Lecithin Formulation of Highly Standardized Ginger (<em>Zingiber officinale</em>) and <em>Acmella oleracea</em> Extracts for the Treatment of Pain and Inflammation in a Group of Subjects with Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis</p>

“…45 Gingerols are potent vanilloid receptor (VR1) agonists which may in part explain ginger's analgesic effects. 13 In human studies, the positive effect of intake of ginger on pain has shown in athletes 49,50 and in women with dysmenorrhea. 51 In particular, regarding dysmenorrhea, it has been shown that ginger is as effective as mefenamic acid and ibuprofen on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea.…”

Sports pharmacology: A medical pharmacologist’s perspective

“…Ginseng as an endurance performance enhancer. [ 48 ] Currently there are no recommendations or guidelines on use of such substances in sports. Hence it is very much necessary to know pharmacology of different drugs.…”