title: Red ginseng treatment for two weeks promotes fat metabolism during exercise in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Red ginseng (RG) has been reported to improve the blood and organ lipid profile when combined with exercise. However, the effect of RG on energy metabolism during exercise is poorly understood. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate whether RG treatment alters fat utilization during exercise;
  
  
  METHODS
  We used seven-week-old ICR mice (n = 42). RG (1 g/kg) was administered orally daily during two weeks of endurance training. All mice were randomized into two groups: training only group (CON group) and training with RG group (RG group). Endurance training consisted of 20~25 m/min on a slope of 8° for one hour five times a week. After a two-week experimental period, we measured substrate utilization during exercise at the same intensity and duration of training using a respiratory calorimetry chamber. Mice were dissected for glycogen measurement of muscles and liver before, immediately after, and one hour after the exercise;
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fat oxidation during the initial 20 min of the one-hour exercise significantly increased in the RG group compared to the CON group. In addition, the liver glycogen stores significantly decreased immediately after the one-hour exercise compared to at rest in the RG group, but did not differ between immediately after the one-hour exercise and at rest in the RG group. The glycogen concentration in white and red gastrocnemius muscle did not differ between the groups immediately after the one-hour exercise;
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that RG treatment for two weeks promotes fat oxidation and a glycogen-sparing effect during exercise. This might lead to a delay in peripheral fatigue during endurance exercise performance.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Nutrition, Department of Physical Education, Konkuk University, Seoul 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Korea. hfilm@konkuk.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Hyejung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Nutrition, Department of Physical Education, Konkuk University, Seoul 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Korea. kimpro@konkuk.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jisu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Nutrition, Department of Physical Education, Konkuk University, Seoul 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Korea. jonghoonp@konkuk.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jonghoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Nutrition, Department of Physical Education, Konkuk University, Seoul 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Korea. yunhy@konkuk.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Heayeon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, Keimyung University, Daegu 704-701, Korea. wk11106@kmu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Woo-Kwang
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju 380-701, Korea. bkkim2@kku.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Bokyung
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Biotechnology of Animal Resources, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Korea. leech@konkuk.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Chi-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Nutrition, Department of Physical Education, Konkuk University, Seoul 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Korea. hjsuh21@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Heajung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Nutrition, Department of Physical Education, Konkuk University, Seoul 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Korea. exercise@konkuk.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kiwon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D006003:Glycogen