An Energiser with Herbal Extracts, Creatine and Collagen to Prevent Post-Exercise Fatigue

Physical exercises are important for maintaining physical strength and general health state, particularly for the senior citizens. However, after strenuous exercises, the feeling of intense fatigue is also particularly common among the elderlies, who might be discouraged to persist on the physical trainings. Post exercise fatigue is in fact manifestations of “Oxidative Stress” resulting from the accumulation of metabolites produced during active muscular activities and micro damages. If the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) found in the skeletal muscles, blood and lipids, enhanced by the presence of free radicals during heavy exercises, can be reduced, “Oxidative Stress” could be alleviated. We intend to produce an “energizer”, that nor only help to decrease “Oxidative Stress”, but also provide essential nutritional support to the muscles as well as longer term joint space integrities. Verbascoside containing herb was chosen to be the antioxidant to release “Oxidative Stress”. Creatine was the nutritive agent for muscle repair and collagen (related to Glucosamine) was added to provide cartilage support. The “energizer” was put to a properly planned clinical trial involving healthy young men. The study was designed as a randomized, double blinded cross-over study. All participants randomly consumed the energizer, collagen powder or creatine monohydrate for 14 days with a wash-out period interval for at least on month. On day 15 the participants completed one bout of well calibrated motor-driven treadmill exercise. Monitoring consisted of heart rate, and blood samples for the measurements of oxidative stress biomarkers, and muscle soreness. Creatine Kinase was measured in the subsequent recovery days. Results showed that the “energizer” produced a decreasing trend in the metabolites of proteins, DNA and lipids, and muscle soreness significantly decreased and during the three recovery days, Creatine Kinase activity sharply decreased, compared with the taking of collagen or creatine alone. In conclusion, the positive result supports the expectation that the “energiser” could be safely used as an exercise supplement for the prevention of after exercise fatigue.