Uppers Editorial February 24, 2024 1:30 p.m
Ginseng roots have more properties as they age.Getty.
Regular consumption of ginseng can also help minimize the risk of injury.
It is a herbal compound that contains active ingredients that stimulate the central nervous system, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and act as cortisol regulators.
Hundreds of scientific studies show that ginseng can help the body recover after exercise, increase performance, and prevent injuries from occurring.
Ginseng is a genus of plants that combines different species and is traditionally classified as adaptogenic plants. In the Chinese traditional medicine Ginseng refers to the species Panax Ginseng, a plant species that is native to Korea, Russia and China and is protected there. The roots of it perennial Slow-growing ones, especially older ones, are highly valued because they have a greater active ingredient content.
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From the plant to the nutritional supplement
Currently, ginseng is one of the most commonly consumed dietary supplements worldwide. Numerous studies suggest that it is made from various plants and herbs that provide numerous benefits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer effects. Now a group of researchers from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) have confirmed that it can also help people who engage in physical activity.
The study, which is included in a thesis (TFM), comes to this conclusion Ginseng consumption contributes directly to this Fatigue reduction and promotes muscle regeneration after sport. “We have proven that ginseng can play an important role as a dietary supplement for post-exercise recovery,” says Borja Muñoz, fitness trainer and one of the lead authors of this work. Muñoz carried out this research under the direction of Patricia Martínez, nutritionist and collaborating professor in the UOC Health Sciences Degree Program, and together with experts Rafael Bailón and Laura Esquius, the latter from the UOC FoodLab group. The work consists of an rsystematic review of more than seven hundred articles the scientific literature in which the conclusions were analyzed in detail to verify these benefits in healthy adults who practice physical activity.
“In addition to a balanced diet, ginseng can be an additional benefit for athletes or people who engage in regular physical activity. And it must be taken into account that a Regular consumption of ginseng generally does no harm or zero benefit in healthy people, except in the case of medical contraindication”emphasizes Muñoz.
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Benefits of Ginseng
This review confirms that consuming ginseng is able to significantly reduce muscle damage in healthy adults after exercise. Aside from that, improves muscle regeneration and contributes to the elimination of damage and Muscle fatigue after physical activity.
During sports training Muscle damage due to the stress and intensity of the work they are exposed to. These damages are mainly of a kind flammable. Ginseng compounds have active ingredients that stimulate the central nervous system antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and pretend cortisol regulators, the hormone that fights stress, helps in numerous metabolic functions of the body and contributes to the correct functioning of the immune system.
In particular, systematic and prolonged intake of ginseng can attenuate the response of biological markers that are primarily responsible for exercise-related muscle damage and inflammation Creatine kinase (CK) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). In addition, it reduces and dampens consumption appearance of lactate in the blood, a chemical compound produced by the body due to lack of oxygen in the muscle due to overexertion at work. The presence of this compound leads to a reduction in the ability to generate muscle contraction, Main reason for muscle fatigue.
Lower risk of injury
Another aspect that should be taken into account is that regular consumption of ginseng can reduce fatigue help minimize the risk of injuryespecially those that arise in muscle or ligament structures that can lead to this Improve performance Sports.
“Although every injury has something in every situation and for every individual in particular different recovery timesPhysiological processes are common in damaged structures. For this reason, professionals in this field must create the most efficient physiological context so that each person can recover in the best possible way and in the shortest possible time. It's here where Ginseng could play an important role in injury recovery,” explains Muñoz about the possibilities that planned and targeted consumption of ginseng offers athletes.