|
Banned
תאריך הצטרפות: Nov 2005
הודעות: 0
עוסק ב:: חייל בסדיר, מילואימניק בטיב טעם.
|
ליאו קבל על ג'ינסנג:
Ginseng Ginseng has been used in the Orient for centuries as an “adaptogenic” plant based
supplement. The concept of an adaptogen basically means that it helps the body
adapt to higher levels of stress.
The ailments Ginseng is claimed to treat range from nervous disorders, anemia,
poor libido, wakefulness, forgetfulness and confusion, nausea, chronic fatigue and
angina, to name a few.
Exactly how ginseng supposedly accomplishes all this is unclear and still being
investigated. In animals, ginseng appears to have positive effects on the
cardiovascular system, central nervous system, endocrine system, metabolism, and
immune system. However, several recent reviews that examined the data on
ginseng concluded, that while studies with animals show that ginseng (or its active
components) may have positive effects on health and performance, there is
generally a lack of controlled research demonstrating the ability of ginseng to
improve performance in humans.
The general consensus regarding the effects of ginseng in humans is that most
studies suffer from methodological problems such as inadequate sample size and
lack of double blind, control and placebo designs. However, Germany’s
Commission E, which is responsible for developing guidelines for herbs, has found
that ginseng is useful for a wide variety of problems, such as fatigue and
improving mental concentration. Europeans seem to have a much better handle on
the uses of ginseng than the US.
To the reader, the above may seem confusing or contradictory. The reason for the
contradictory information may be due in part to the type of ginseng being used, the
quality of the ginseng being used, the amount of the ginseng used, and the
aforementioned study design problems.
For example, there is American ginseng, Indian Ginseng, Siberian ginseng and
Korean ginseng, all reported to have different effects. Also, many ginsengs on the
market are known to be lacking in the active ingredient in ginseng, known as
“ginsenosides.”
One study found that over 85% of ginseng products on the shelves contained
virtually no gensenosides. This makes ginseng something of a confusing
supplement for athletes, but not a supplement without potential merit.
By some accounts with users, ginseng seems to increase stamina, concentration
and resistance to stress, as well and improvements in endurance. One recent study
found 350mg of ginseng extract improved the reaction time (psychomotor
performance) of soccer players over a six week period.
Some studies have found ginseng has powerful anti-cancer and anti-oxidants
properties as well as an ability to improve blood sugar metabolism. One recent
study found ginseng was able to treat some men with erectile dysfunction!
This may be due to ginseng being possibly able to effect nitric Oxide (NO)
production in men, as NO is essential for obtaining an erection.
The use of ginseng continues to grow with current sales estimated to be
approximately 300 million dollars annually. There is clearly a need for research
dealing with the efficacy of ginseng.
This research needs to take into account basic, fundamental design considerations
if there is to be any hope of establishing whether or not ginseng actually has a
place in an athletes supplements regimen. It’s hard to imagine a billion Chinese
could be totally wrong about ginseng however...
What is the optimal dose? Different extracts contain differing amounts of the
active ingredients. Different products contain different doses. General
recommendations are commonly 50-100mg per day of an extract containing at
least 7%-10% ginsenosides 2-3 times per day.
Some experimentation may be needed however. What about building muscle?
There is not a drop of solid data to support such a use for ginseng. So, an athlete
looking to build muscle or increase performance, ginseng gets a thumb's down.
Vogler, B.K., M. H. Pittler and E. Ernst. "The efficacy of ginseng. A systematic
review of randomized clinical trials," Eur. Jour. Clin. Pharmacol. 55/8 (1999), p.
567-75. Bahrke, M.S. and W. P. Morgan. "Evaluation of the ergogenic properties of
ginseng," Sports Medicine Oct.18/4 (1994), p. 229-48.
Bahrke, M.S. and W. R. Morgan. "Evaluation of the ergogenic properties of
ginseng: an update," Sports Medicine 29/2 (2000), p. 113-33.
Sotaniemi, E.A., E. Haapakoski and A. Rautio. "Ginseng therapy in non-insulindependent
diabetic patients," Diabetes Care 18/10 (1995), p. 1373-5.
Ong, Y. C. and E. L. Yong. "Panax (ginseng)--panacea or placebo?" Ann. Acad.
Med. [Singapore] 29/1 (2000), p. 42-6.
Ziemba, A.W. and J. Chmura, et al. "Ginseng treatment improves psychomotor
performance at rest and during graded exercise in young athletes," Int. Jour. Sport
Nutr. 9/4 (1999), p. 371-7. |