A review of the effects of herbal and natural supplement on exercise performance and exercise-induced muscle damage

ABSTRACT

Background & Aims: Although regular exercise training with appropriate intensity, is considered an essential component of a healthy lifestyle that leads a desirable and beneficial adaptation in the body, however, is also known that exhaustive and strenuous exercises causes oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and structural damage to muscle cells, as well as decline in athletic performance (1). In several studies the exercise-induced muscle damage was indicated indirectly by increased serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and muscle soreness (53). In fact, it is reported that muscle fibers are subject to greater mechanical stress during exhaustive and long-term muscle contraction, which leads to enzymes efflux result from the loss of sarcolemmal integrity (increased permeability and/or breakdown of the membrane surrounding the muscle cell) due to the mechanical stress imposed by the repeated muscle contraction (53). Therefore, there has been much effort to identify appropriate sport supplementation strategies that may help to reduce or prevent exercise-induced muscle damage and stress (2), So that, due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, the use of herbal medicines and natural supplements maybe very effective to prevent exercise-induced muscle damage and oxidative stress (3). Indeed, in recent years, there has been growing body of literature examining the possible physiological mechanisms responsible for muscle damage, adaptation, and interventions to reduce the negative effects of damaging exercise. Hence in the present review, in addition to study of possible mechanisms, it has provided the effects of some natural and herbal supplements in sports.