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Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Published in: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Review

Herbal medicine for sports: a review

Authors: Maha Sellami, Olfa Slimeni, Andrzej Pokrywka, Goran Kuvačić, Lawrence D Hayes, Mirjana Milic, Johnny Padulo

Published in: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition | Issue 1/2018

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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.
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Metadata
Title
Herbal medicine for sports: a review
Authors
Maha Sellami
Olfa Slimeni
Andrzej Pokrywka
Goran Kuvačić
Lawrence D Hayes
Mirjana Milic
Johnny Padulo
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0218-y

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