Herbs in exercise and sports.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate the ergogenic effects of caffeine and other herbs on exercise and sports performance.
Results Summary
The abstract mentions that caffeine is a popular ergogenic aid believed to improve physical performance, but it does not provide specific results for caffeine's efficacy in this study. The focus shifts to Eurycoma longifolia Jack, which showed no significant improvement in endurance cycling or running performance.
Population
Not specified (general exercise and sports context).
Effective Dosage
Not specified.
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ginseng | increase | physical performance | - | - | believed to have an ergogenic effect | #1 |
caffeine | increase | physical performance | - | - | believed to have an ergogenic effect | #2 |
ma huang (also called 'Chinese ephedra') | increase | physical performance | - | - | believed to have an ergogenic effect | #3 |
ephedrine | increase | physical performance | - | - | believed to have an ergogenic effect | #4 |
a combination of both caffeine and ephedrine | increase | physical performance | - | - | believed to have an ergogenic effect | #5 |
Eurycoma longifolia Jack | no change | endurance cycling | - | - | no significant improvement | #6 |
Eurycoma longifolia Jack | no change | running endurance | - | - | no significant improvement | #7 |
The use of herbs as ergogenic aids in exercise and sport is not novel. Ginseng, caffeine, ma huang (also called 'Chinese ephedra'), ephedrine and a combination of both caffeine and ephedrine are the most popular herbs used in exercise and sports. It is believed that these herbs have an ergogenic effect and thus help to improve physical performance. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of these herbs on exercise performance. Recently, researchers have also investigated the effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack on endurance cycling and running performance. These investigators have reported no significant improvement in either cycling or running endurance after supplementation with this herb. As the number of studies in this area is still small, more studies should be conducted to evaluate and substantiate the effects of this herb on sports and exercise performance. For instance, future research on any herbs should take the following factors into consideration: dosage, supplementation period and a larger sample size.