title: Improved inflammatory balance of human skeletal muscle during exercise after supplementations of the ginseng-based steroid Rg1.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of ginseng-based steroid Rg1 on TNF-alpha and IL-10 gene expression in human skeletal muscle against exercise challenge, as well as on its ergogenic outcomes. Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trials were performed, separated by a 4-week washout. Healthy young men were randomized into two groups and received capsule containing either 5 mg of Rg1 or Placebo one night and one hour before exercise. Muscle biopsies were conducted at baseline, immediately and 3 h after a standardized 60-min cycle ergometer exercise. While treatment differences in glycogen depletion rate of biopsied quadriceps muscle during exercise did not reach statistical significance, Rg1 supplementations enhanced post-exercise glycogen replenishment and increased citrate synthase activity in the skeletal muscle 3 h after exercise, concurrent with improved meal tolerance during recovery (P<0.05). Rg1 suppressed the exercise-induced increases in thiobarbituric acids reactive substance (TBARS) and reversed the increased TNF-alpha and decreased IL-10 mRNA of quadriceps muscle against the exercise challenge. PGC-1 alpha and GLUT4 mRNAs of exercised muscle were not affected by Rg1. Maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) was not changed by Rg1. However, cycling time to exhaustion at 80% VO2max increased significantly by ~20% (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our result suggests that Rg1 is an ergogenic component of ginseng, which can minimize unwanted lipid peroxidation of exercised human skeletal muscle, and attenuate pro-inflammatory shift under exercise challenge.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry, Department of Sports Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shin-Da
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Lan
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education, National Taichung University of Education, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Shiung
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry, Department of Sports Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry, Department of Sports Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry, Department of Sports Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Health, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ivy
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Health and Nutrition Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry, Department of Sports Sciences, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015444:Exercise; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; C508609:IL10 protein, human; D058573:Performance-Enhancing Substances; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D006003:Glycogen