• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.1409-1416
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• 2012

This study examined the effects of four herbal sports drinks containing Prunus mume, Liriope platyphylla, and Acanthopanax senticosus fruit extracts on body fat and endurance of rats trained by a progressive loaded exercise program. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats (6 weeks old) were divided into five groups and fed experimental diets for 6 weeks according to the following protocol: C, exercise-trained control group (n=8); A, exercise group with Acanthopanax senticosus extract (n=8); L, exercise group with Liriope platyphylla extract (n=8); PA, exercise group with Prunus mune fruit extract plus Acanthopanax senticosus extract (n=8); PL, exercise group with Prunus mune fruit extract plus Liriope platyphylla extract (n=8). Endurance was measured by a progressive loaded exercise test using a treadmill. PA and PL supplementation significantly extended time to exhaustion compared to the control group (p<0.05). Further, the four herbal sports drinks all significantly reduced epididymal and interscapular white adipose tissue weights compared to the control group (p<0.05). Plasma triglyceride concentration was significantly lower in the A group compared to the control group. Plasma free fatty acid concentration was higher in the A group compared to the control group. On the other hand, Acanthopanax senticosus fruit extract supplementation tended to reduce the plasma glucose concentration compared to the control group. PA and PL supplementation significantly increased gastrocnemius muscle LDH activities compared to the control group (p<0.05). These results show that sports drink containing Acanthopanax senticosus improved endurance capacity, plasma lipids, and glucose concentrations. Sports drink with Prunus mume and Liriope platyphylla or Acanthopanax senticosus was synergistically improved endurance.