• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2018

Background: Ginseng has been used as an ergogenic agent, although evidence for its effectiveness is weak. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a ginsenoside complex (UG0712) on changes in exercise performance. Methods: Sedentary individuals (n = 117) were randomly assigned into one of three groups: low-dose ginsenoside supplementation (100 mg/d, n = 39), high-dose ginsenoside supplementation (500 mg/d, n = 39), or a placebo group (500 mg/d, n = 39). All participants underwent a supervised 12-wk aerobic and resistance exercise training course. To assess the effects of supplementation on physical performance, maximal oxygen consumption ($VO_2max$), anaerobic threshold (AT), lactic acid, and muscle strength of the dominant knee were measured at baseline, every visit, and after the training program. Results: Both ginsenoside groups showed significant increases in $VO_2max$ and muscular strength during exercise training. There were no definite changes in AT and lactic acid levels over time. After exercise training, there were definite differences in the $VO_2max$ (28.64.9 to $33.7{\pm}4.9ml/kg/min$ in high-dose group vs. $30.4{\pm}6.7$ to $32.8{\pm}6.6ml/kg/min$ in placebo, p = 0.029) and AT ($19.3{\pm}4.2$ to $20.9{\pm}3.5ml/kg/min$ in high-dose group vs. $20.0{\pm}5.1$ to $20.0{\pm}4.9ml/kg/min$ in placebo, p = 0.038) between the high-dose ginsenoside and placebo groups. However, there was no difference in $VO_2max$ between the low-dose ginsenoside and placebo groups (p = 0.254). There were no differences in muscular strength during exercise training among the three groups. Conclusion: High-dose ginsenoside supplementation (UG0712) augmented the improvement of aerobic capacity by exercise training.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.648-655
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• 2005

Effects of two types of formula designed for commercial product on forced-swimming capacity and related biochemical parameters of Sprague-Dawley rats were evaluated. Treatment groups were fed diet supplemented with 4.56% formula A (EFA: exercise-trained and formula A-supplemented group) or B (EFB: exercise-trained and formula B-supplemented group) for 4 weeks. All groups were regularly trained twice a week to be accustomed to swimming. After 4 weeks, each group was divided into two subgroups: 90 min swimming (90-min subgroups) and swimming until exhaustion (all-out subgroups). Serum was collected, and skeletal muscles were dissected out after swimming. Forced-swimming time until exhaustion was significantly longer (p<0.05) in EFA and EFB groups than that of exercised control group. Among 90-min subgroups, serum ammonia level of EFB group was significantly lower than that of exercised control group (p<0.05). Among all-out subgroups, serum lactate levels were not significantly different among exercised control and treatment groups, whereas serum-free fatty acid levels of EFA and EFB groups were significantly lower than that of exercised control group (p<0.05). In conclusion, EFA and EFB groups enhanced forced swimming capacity of rats by increasing fat utilization and delaying accumulation of serum fatigue factor.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.291-297
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• 2008

We investigated whether 1) the combined capsaicin (75 mg), sesamin (30 mg), and L-carnitine (900 mg) (CCSC) ingestion enhances autonomic nervous system (ANS) activities including thermogenic sympathetic activity as energy metabolic modulator, 2) ${\beta}_3-AR$ polymorphism of each subject influences with ANS activity. Seven healthy males $(22.0{\pm}0.5\;yr)$ volunteered for this study. The cardiac autonomic nervous activities evaluated by means of heart rate variability of power spectral analysis were continuously measured during 5 min every 30 min for total 120 min resting condition with CCSC or placebo oral administration chosen at random. The results indicated that, there are not $Arp/Arg^{64}$ variants of the ${\beta}_3-AR$ genotypes in our subjects. There were not also significant differences in heart rate during rest between both trials. The difference of ANS activity did not reach the statistical significance between both trials. However, the significant improvement showed TOTAL power, HF component, and the indices of SNS and PNS activities before and at 30 min after CCSC ingestion (p<0.05, respectively). In conclusions, although each component of combined CCSC is associated with lipolysis and/or fat oxidation, the combined CCSC consumption is not influenced in stimulation of thermogenic sympathetic activity as modulator of energy metabolism. In rather, our results suggested that CCSC ingestion improves the balance of both SNS and PNS activities. Therefore, it will be considered many combined nutrient components for ergogenic and/or lipolysis effects as well as genetic variants affecting ANS activity in further studies.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to examine the improvement of endurance exercise performance by taking mixtures of Ginseng Radix rubra and Paeonia Radix. For this purpose, time of exhaustion, $V0_2max$, heart rate, and blood lactate was used as improvement index. The experiments were executed to thirty eight men in their twenties. They were randomly assigned into four groups[CG: control group(n=10), IG: ingestion mixtures group(n=9), TPG: ingestion placebo+training group(n=9), TIG: ingestion mixtures+training group(n=10)]. IG and TIG took mixtures of Ginseng Radix rubra and Paeonia Radix for four weeks, and TPG and TIG exercised once a day, three times a week, exercised for 25 minutes during the first week and added 2 minutes by week during four weeks up to 75% of their maximum heart rate. Time of exhaustion showed statistically significant increase for IG, TPG and TIG. TIG had the longest time of exhaustion and IG the shortest. In case of $VO_2max$, no statistically significant change was found among four groups. However, IG, TPG, TIG showed small increase in $VO_2max$. Similarly, no significant change was found for heart rate in rest even though TIG and TPG appear to have decreasing trend. For maximum heart rate, no significant change was found either, but IG, TPG and TIG showed increase. In case of blood lactate from rest to exercise until 18 minutes, no group had significant decrease. In case of blood lactate in exhaustion, IG, TPG and TIG had significant increase. Blood lactate recovery volume at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes showed no significant results for all four groups, but TIG and TPG had a small increase.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.827-838
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• 2017

Twenty male soccer players volunteered as the experimental subjects. The subjects were randomly assigned to the "Winter training with Cornus officinalis extract intake group"(WCI; n=10) and "Winter training group"(WT; n=10). The variables of blood fatigue substance, muscle damage and liver function where measured in all the subjects before the start of the Cornus officinalis intake after at the end of the 4 weeks winter training. Winter training program was proceeded with 6 days a week for 4 weeks. Exercise intensity was measured using the HRR(70~95%). Changes in the heart rate were also measured with the Polar. WCI group were ingested 80 mL of Cornus officinalis extract after every breakfast and dinner for 4 weeks. The test data were analyzed by paired t-test, and independent t-test(%diff), and the alpha level of p<.05 was set for all tests of significance. Lactate in WCI group had significantly decreased, and the changes between the groups were significantly lower in the WCI group than in the WT group. Ammonia in WCI group had significantly increased. CK in WCI group had significantly decreased. LDH in both group had significantly decreased. AST in WCI group had significantly decreased, and the changes between the groups were significantly lower in the WCI group than in the WT group. ALT in WCI group had significantly decreased. In conclusion, the results of this study show that Cornus officinalis extract seem to have a positive influence on blood fatigue substance, muscle damage and liver function. Therefore Cornus officinalis extract is considered to be able to contribute an ergogenic aids.