薬理と治療

Abstract

Backgrounds Recovering early from fatigue by exercise and getting into good physical condition is an important factor to give ones best performance in an athletic competition. The amino acid-containing supplement used in this study contains arginine, ornithine, and lysine（as amino acids）in addition to glycogen, zinc, magnesium, selenium, vitamin B6, and powdered Kanka extract. Arginine, ornithine, and lysine are known to promote the secretion of growth hormone, thus playing an important role in recovery from fatigue. Objective This study aimed to verify the effect of the amino acid-containing supplement on secretion of growth hormone during exercise. Methods Adult volunteers（19 subjects）who routinely exercised were enrolled in this double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study. The amino acid-containing supplement and placebo were taken 15 minutes before exercise. Using an ergometer, AEROBIKEEX 80（manufactured by Combi）, exercise load was applied for 30 minutes at an exercise intensity equivalent to 60 percent maximum oxygen consumption（VO2 max）. Blood samples were taken before and after exercise, and the growth hormone leve- in the blood was measured. Results Owing to the intake of the amino acid-containing supplement and placebo 15 minutes before exercise, the growth hormone level in the blood increased from 0.99±0.29 ng╱mL and 0.56±0.21 ng╱mL before exercise to 3.20 ±0.55 ng╱mL and 2.08±0.25 ng╱mL after exercise, respectively. The growth hormone level in the blood with the amino acid-containing supplement was significantly higher compared with that in the blood with placebo after exercise. Conclusions The amino acid︱containing supplement is effective in promoting the secretion of growth hormone during exercise.