Daily oral administration of crocetin attenuates physical fatigue in human subjects.
This study compared the effects of placebo with a carotenoid compound, crocetin, as well as an antioxidant, ascorbic acid, on physical fatigue in humans. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-way crossover study, 14 Japanese healthy volunteers (7 men and 7 women) were randomized to oral administration of crocetin (15 mg), ascorbic acid (3,000 mg), or placebo for 8 days. Subjects performed workload tests on a bicycle ergometer at fixed workloads for 120 minutes at 2 times (a total of 240 minutes) as a fatigue-inducing physical task. During the physical task, subjects performed nonworkload tests at maximum velocity (MV) of 10 seconds at 30 minutes (30-minute test) after the start of the physical task and at 30 minutes before the end of the task (210-minute test). The change in MV from the 30- to the 210-minute test was significantly higher in men who received crocetin compared with men who received placebo (P < .05). This effect of crocetin was specific to males. Administration of ascorbic acid did not change in MV from the 30-minute to the 210-minute test on males or females. These results suggest that daily administration of crocetin may attenuate physical fatigue in men.
Mizuma
Hiroshi
H
Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 545-8585, Japan. mizuma_hiroshi@riken.jp
Tanaka
Masaaki
M
Nozaki
Satoshi
S
Mizuno
Kei
K
Tahara
Tsuyoshi
T
Ataka
Suzuka
S
Sugino
Tomohiro
T
Shirai
Tomoko
T
Kajimoto
Yoshitaka
Y
Kuratsune
Hirohiko
H
Kajimoto
Osami
O
Watanabe
Yasuyoshi
Y
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005221:Fatigue / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000187:drug effects*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
D000975:Antioxidants; C487773:trans-sodium crocetinate; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; D001205:Ascorbic Acid