Amanda BecksteadNutrition 3020Ergogenic Aide Summary9/23/2014

My name is Amanda Beckstead and I am currently a senior in the Human Performance Management Program with an emphasis in wellness. I have been attending Weber State off and on for the last nine years and came back to school full time last spring to finish up my last four semesters. I choose Siberian Ginseng as my Ergogenic aid to study. Siberian Ginseng has several different names including ginseng, eleutherococcus senticosus, acanthopanax senticosus, Russian ginseng, and ciwuja. I choose to research this aid because I noticed it was listed on quite a few products that my brother in law started taking and has felt a tremendous change in his energy levels. He is a pretty active guy and he doesn’t usually take any supplements for energy or performance so I wanted to see if there was any evidence supporting the change he is experiencing. I will be covering what part of the plant is most commonly used to produce the supplements, how it can affect performance, legality issues, safety issues and availability of research.

There are many different types of ginseng in the world but they generally reflect they geographic origin. Siberian Ginseng supplements contain various parts of the plant, the most common used is the bark, the leaf and specific chemicals within the bark are sought out. The leaf-stem extract has also been used due to its availability and lower cost than other parts such as the root. The chemicals in each part of the plant have specific properties that could make them an effective supplement. This supplement has been shown to have thermo-genic properties and properties that help protect against free radical damage. One of the main properties of Siberian Ginseng that could be most helpful in performance would be the anti-stress properties it possesses as well as its ability to be more effective than other herbs for dealing with chronic stress.

There seems to still be a lot of research that needs to be conducted in a larger setting to determine how effective Siberian Ginseng can be to sports performance. The tests that have been completed have been largely completed with small groups of individuals and there needs to be larger studies completed. They have seen a large variance in the test results that have been received and it is important to find out which factors influence the potency and effectiveness of Siberian Ginseng. The research that has been conducted shows the possibility that it can be used to help protect the body from free radical damage in turn helping the immune system under certain circumstances. There has been conclusions that it helps with improved carbohydrate metabolism and increased synthesis of proteins. It has been show to help with a decrease in triglycerides and improve fat utilization. It helps the body adapt to repeated stress but use of it over 8 week period it becomes less effective, though in comparison to other herbs its anti-stress properties are more effective against chronic stress. This supplement in combination with other herbs has been shown to significantly increase swimming endurance. The endurance would be increased in part to the reduced lactic acid accumulation in the muscles. The increase in endurance seems to be in part to ginseng’s effect on the CNS and cardiovascular systems. The

effects in the CNS and the cardiovascular system showed there could be some relieved mental and physical fatigue if ginseng was supplemented.

The ginseng shows a greater improved response to stress because it effects the hypothamic pituitary, it does this by decreasing or normalizing nitric oxide and cortisol levels that’s normally rise during times of physical or mental stress. It improves immune function helping athletes stay healthy by protecting against free radicals. It helps the digestive system by improving the way carbs are metabolized using secondary metabolites, these also increase the synthesis of protein. These factors by the nature of healthy mind and body in athletics could improve performance. If an athlete is having proper nutrition and the systems of the body are working properly they can train harder and more effectivity which could help their athletic performance.

Siberian Ginseng was first researched in the Soviet Union for use for athletes as a cheaper alternative to Panax ginseng. The idea was to find something as effective with similar properties but that is was much cheaper to use. The typical cost of Panax for 600 mg/100 caps bottle is $27. Compares with Siberian Ginseng 1300mg/100 caps bottle is $13. The Panax has far less “bang for your buck”, the Siberian is cheaper and gives over double the dose for less than half the price.

There is no legality issues that affect Siberian Ginseng use. There is no information against its use on the anti-doping agency sites. The websites do however mention that because a supplement or drug isn’t listed on the site doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an ingredient added to the product that would give an athlete a positive test for doping. There are a number of supplements that have ingredients in the supplements that are not listed or that become contaminated. It is hard to tell if the supplement just because contaminated or if something was added intentionally and not listed on the label. The substance is legal to buy in a store or online but it is important to get it from someone who is reputable to ensure that the quality is taken into account. The safety of a contaminated product is touched on later.

Supplement use is very high among Americans, 1 in 5 say they have used some type of supplement in the last year and this number is even higher among athletes looking for a supplement to help improve performance. Ginseng is one of the most popular supplements that is thought to help increase performance and/or mental clarity. Siberian Ginseng is generally thought of as safe in normal use. There are some concerns with possible drug interactions. These reactions seem to be mild and caused by improper use such as overdose and/or the quality of the product that was used. There has been caution of use of those with diabetes to monitor their blood glucose due to the hypoglycemic effects that have been reported in some animal studies.

The research available on Siberian Ginseng is not readily available. It as a supplement to improve athletic performance has not been studied in great detail. There seems to be a large number of articles written and researched by the same people. The information that was found at times was conflicting or vague. The information on the aid is scarce and many times it was within other articles talking about other subjects and a small blurb of information on the particular ginseng being researched. There were not many articles compared to other aids when looking at research. The many different types of ginseng available also invalidated some of the sources as well because the articles didn’t specify what type was used or the type used was not the one that was searched for. There were a lot of different names that Siberian Ginseng is called.

There were the generic type names, slang such as devil’ bush or wild pepper and the proper supplement name. The databases that were available to search each had articles with the different names either in the title or throughout the paper.

Based upon my findings with Siberian Ginseng I would use it. I think it would be worth the potential to increase sports performance. It had numerous studies talking about the anti-stress effects of it and it was mentioned to be effective. It is legal however, I would want to make sure that it is not contaminated with other substances that would increase the possibility of an adverse reaction. I think this aid is generally safe to use if not abused, all natural substances have a possibility to harm, there is too much of a good thing. I was disappointed in the lack of research and articles I was able to find for this aid, it not only made it hard to find enough information for the final paper but also a solid conclusion on the efficiency and the safety of the product. It is known to be generally safe but I would be hesitant to recommend it to someone or to weigh in if someone asked what I thought about it.

References

Professional Literature

1. Senchina, D. S., Stear, S. J., Burke, L. M., & Castell, L. M. (2013). A–Z of nutritional supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance: Part 44. British journal of sports medicine, 47(9), 595-598. (Rating: 2.5)

2. Provino, R. (2010). The role of adaptogens in stress management. Australian Journal of Medical Herbalism, 22(2), 41. (Rating: 2.16)

3. Wang, H., Peng, D., & Xie, J. (2009). Ginseng leaf-stem: bioactive constituents and pharmacological functions. Chin Med, 4, 20. (Rating 2.67)

4. Senchina, D. S., Shah, N. B., Doty, D. M., Sanderson, C. R., & Hallam, J. E. (2009). Herbal supplements and athlete immune function—what’s proven, disproven, and unproven. Exerc Immunol Rev, 15, 66-106. (Rating 2.5)

5. Arouca, A., & Grassi-Kassisse, D. M. (2013). Eleutherococcus senticosus: Studies and effects. Health, 5, 1509. (Rating: 2.33)

6. Bahrke, M. S., Morgan, W. P., & Stegner, A. (2009). Is Ginseng an Ergogenic Aid?. International Journal Of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 19(3), 298-322. (Rating 2.33)

7. DOMENE, A. (2013). Effects of adaptogen supplementation on sport performance. A recent review of published studies. Journal Of Human Sport & Exercise, 8(4), 1054-1066. (Rating: 2.16)

Popular Literature

8. McCarty, M. (2010). Stamina and Energy. Massage Magazine, (170), 74-78. (Rating: 0.5)

9. Senchina, D. S. (2013). Athletics and Herbal Supplements. American Scientist, 101(2), 134-141. (Rating: 2.16)

10. Tweed, V. (2013). adrenal health. Better Nutrition, 75(9), 26-28. (Rating: 0.5)

Books

Internet Pages