Effect of Chinese herbal supplement on oxidative stress after eccentric exercise in healthy young males

It is well known that acute bouts of aerobic and anaerobic exercise can induce a state of oxidative stress. However, little is known about the anti-oxidant effect of Chinese herbal supplements in humans during exercise. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of an innovative Chinese herbal supplement on oxidative stress after an acute bout of eccentric exercise in healthy males. METHODS: Eight healthy physically active males (age: 20.9 ± 1.0 y, BMI: 21.6 ± 2.4 kg•mˉ²) volunteered to participate in the study. All participants completed three main experimental trials in a double-blind randomized crossover design, and the duration between any two trials was at least one month. In each experimental trial, the participant consumed one of three supplements for 14 days: “Herbal Energiser” (HE), collagen power (CP), or creatine monohydrate (CM). After 14 days of treatment, the participants completed 45 min of downhill running (-16.5%) at 70% of their individual HRmax. Venous blood samples were collected before treatment (Day 1), before and after exercise on the 15th day (Day 15), every 60 minutes during the two hours recovery period (Day 15), as well as in the morning of the two days subsequent to exercise (Day 16 & Day 17). Venous blood samples were used to analyze biomarkers of oxidative stress, i.e., 8-isoprostane, Protein Carbonyl, 8-OHdG, and Total Antioxidant Capacity. RESULTS: In the morning of Day 17, the serum 8-isoprostane concentration was lower in HE trial than that in CP and CM trials (p<0.05). Immediately after exercise in Day 15, the serum 8-OHdG concentration tended to be lower in HE trial than that in CP trial (p=0.062). CONCLUSIONS: It seems that 14 days of HE supplement has potential to improve the recovery of oxidative damage after an eccentric exercise. However, further studies are still needed to clarify some confounding findings of the present study.