薬理と治療

Abstract

Objectives As oxidative stress is known to cause physical fatigue, antioxidants are potentialcandidates for anti−fatigue agents. Imidazole dipeptides, reported to have strong antioxidativeeffects, have been demonstrated to be effective against fatigue−induced decline in physicalperformance. Here, we investigated the effect of imidazole dipeptides−containing drink onfeeling of fatigue from daily activities in healthy people.Methods 207 volunteers participated in a randomized, double−blind, placebo−controlledclinical study. Subjects were randomly divided into three groups；and provided with imidazoledipeptides 200 mg／day（low dose）, 400 mg／day（high dose）, or placebo for 8 weeks. Weevaluated the subjective sensation of fatigue primarily by the visual analogue scale（VAS）.Results The VAS score was significantly lower 2 to 8 weeks after administration in the imidazoledipeptides 400 mg group compared with that in the placebo group.Conclusions Imidazole dipeptides was also effective as well for the attenuation of fatiguefrom daily activities, most likely attributable to its antioxidant action. Imidazole dipeptidescontainingdrink can thus be considered as one promising candidate for anti−fatigue food.（Jpn Pharmacol Ther 2009；37：255−63）KEY WORDS Imidazole dipeptides, Sensation of fatigue, Visual analogue scale, Antifatiguefood