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薬理と治療
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Abstract
We examined the suppressive effects of tea catechins on physical fatigue by evaluating physical performance after their continuous intake. Eighteen healthy adults, consisting of 9 men and 9 women, underwent a crossover study, in which they consumed a beverage containing 540 mg of tea catechins and a placebo beverage for 4 weeks each, separated by a washout period of 4 weeks. Before and after the intake of each beverage, they were subjected to a physical workload on a bicycle ergometer for 4 hours at an intensity of 80% of the heart rate, at the anaerobic threshold. After this activity, the subjects were allotted a recovery period of 4 hours. Before and after the activity and after the recovery period, physical performance was evaluated by the physical work capacity(PWC) test using an ergometer. At the same time, the level of fatigue was assessed subjectively by a visual analogue scale(VAS), and changes in biomarkers were verified by blood, urine, and saliva tests. As a result, the level of physical performance was significantly higher, at 127.6±36.7 watts, in the tea catechin group than in the placebo group, at 119.2±38.5 watts. No significant difference in the level of fatigue, as assessed by the VAS test, was noted between the two groups. In terms of biomarkers, the reduction in serum triglycerides during the activity was inhibited more significantly in the tea catechin than in the placebo group, and the oxidative stress marker urinary 8−isoprostane tended to decrease in the former. These results suggest the involvement of oxidative stress and increased lipid metabolism in the action mechanism of tea catechins. Thus, the results of this study suggest that the continuous intake of a beverage containing 540 mg of tea catechins improves physical performance and reduces fatigue. (Jpn Pharmacol Ther 2008;36:465−78)KEY WORDS Physical fatigue, Catechin, Physical load, Performance, Biomarker
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