Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) Supplementation in Sports Training: A Systematic Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Background
1.2. Research Objectives
2. Methods
2.1. Eligibility Criteria
- P (population): athletes or healthy subjects performing any type of physical training. To place greater emphasis on the physiological impacts of Astragalus membranaceus supplementation rather than its therapeutic benefits, individuals with any preexisting medical conditions were intentionally excluded from the primary search.
- I (intervention): Astragalus membranaceus supplementation, administered orally at any dose for any period of time. Moreover, studies where Astragalus was administered in conjunction with other supplements were also included in this review to provide a comprehensive understanding of its potential impact when used in combination with other substances.
- C (comparison): any type, including no control. However, the focus was mainly placed on placebo-controlled studies in order to scrutinize the effects of Astragalus membranaceus in a context where the placebo group served as a valuable reference point, facilitating a more robust assessment of its potential benefits.
- O (outcomes): all physiological outcomes, including strength, self-reported vigor, time to exhaustion, physical performance, body mass composition, and hematological parameters.
- S (study design): clinical investigations, including both controlled trials and studies with a pre-post design. In vitro and in vivo laboratory experiments with animal or cell models were excluded from the main search.
2.2. Information Sources
2.3. Search Strategy
2.4. Selection Process
2.5. Data Collection Process
2.6. Data Items and Effect Measures
2.7. Study Risk of Bias Assessment
2.8. Synthesis Methods
3. Results
3.1. Literature Search and Study Selection
3.2. Description of the Included Studies
4. Discussion
4.1. A Critical Overview of the Available Evidence
4.2. Purported Mechanism of Action
4.3. Safety and Tolerability of Intervention
4.4. Study Limitations
5. Conclusions
- Astragalus membranaceus supplementation demonstrated a positive impact on aerobic performance in athletes across various sports activities.
- Individuals supplemented with Huangqi showed enhanced post-exercise immune functions.
- No adverse effects were reported in association with Astragalus supplementation, indicating its relatively safe profile for use in sports performance.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
AM | Astragalus Membranaceus |
BUN | Blood Urea Nitrogen |
CK | Creatine Kinase |
DBT | Dang-Gui Bu-Xue Tang |
Gender (M/F) | Males/Females |
GOT | Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase |
GPT | Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase |
Hb | Hemoglobin |
Hct | Hematocrit |
HJT | Huangqi Jianzhong Tang |
IL-2 | Interleukin 2 |
IL-6 | Interleukin 6 |
LDH | Lactate Dehydrogenase |
MDA | Malondialdehyde |
NK cells | Natural Killer cells |
Outcomes (=/↑/↓) | Non-significant difference/Significantly higher/Significantly lower (p < 0.05) |
PLT | Platelets |
PWC | Physical Working Capacity |
RBC | Red Blood Cells |
RCT | Randomized Controlled Trial |
TNF | Tumor Necrosis Factor |
WBC | White Blood Cells |
yo | years old |
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Population | Intervention (n) | Comparison (n) | Outcomes (Intervention Versus Comparison/s) | Study Type | Jadad Scale * | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
120 older adults Age (range): 60–75 yo Gender: all females Sport: Taiji boxing | AM | 0.5 lt of AM decoction (30 g of AM boiled in 1.5–2 lt of water) every training day for 12 months (n = 60) | No supplementation (n = 60) | ↑ IgA, IgG, and IgM levels ↓ Lymphocyte apoptosis | RCT | 3 | [11] |
20 young adults Age (mean): 20–21 yo Gender: all males Sport: mountain hiking | 2 g of AM extract b.i.d. for 15 days (n = 20) | Placebo (n = 20) | ↑ PWC-170 test, VO2 max, and post-exercise SOD ↓ Post-training heart rate, BLA, BUN, and MDA ↓ Fatigue caused by altitude acclimatization (3700 mt) | RCT | 3 | [12] | |
20 athletes Age (range): 18–24 yo Gender: all males Sport: middle-distance running | 0.5 lt of AM decoction every day for 4 weeks (n = 10) | 0.5 lt of water (n = 10) | ↑ Post-exercise NK cell activity and CD4+/CD8+ ratio = IgA, IgG, and IgM | RCT | ? | [18] | |
18 athletes Age (mean): 20.4–21.4 yo Gender: all males Sport: rowing | 500 mg of AM extract b.i.d. for 6 weeks (n = 10) | Placebo (n = 8) | = Athletes’ strength = Lactate acid production ↑ Post-exercise IL-2 levels and NK cells | RCT | 3 | [13] | |
15 athletes Age: 24.0 ± 1.0 yo Gender: all females Sport: aerobic training | 15 g of AM diluted in a sport drink and taken during the post-exercise recovery phase (n = 15) | - | ↑ Aerobic performance ↑ Physical condition ↑ Muscular morphology | Pre-post study | - | [14] | |
8 young adults Age (mean): 25.0–25.3 yo Gender: 4 M + 4 F Sport: unspecified, but the participants are described as physically active | 1.8 g of AM extract b.i.d. for 2 weeks (n = 8) | - | ↑ Reticulocytes percentage ↓ OFF-hr Score = RBC, Hct, WBC, and PLT | Pre-post study | - | [21] | |
44 older adults Age (range): 55–84 yo Gender: 21 M + 23 F Sport: strength training | AM + other compounds | 1.5 g of AM, Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius extracts + 3 g of creatine a day for 12 weeks (n = 14) | Creatine (n = 15) Placebo (n = 15) | ↑ Strength and lean mass (similar to that observed with creatine only) ↓ Blood lipids ↑ Self-reported vigor ↓ Body fat | RCT | 4 | [15] |
36 athletes Age (range): 20–30 yo Gender: all males Sport: running | 7.5 g of DBT every day for 11 days (n = 18) | Placebo (n = 18) | ↑ Running performance ↓ Exercise-induced rise in hepcidin levels = TNF-α and IL-6 = GOT, GPT, LDH, and BUN | RCT | 3 | [20] | |
20 athletes Age (mean): 16.6–16.8 yo Gender: 16 M + 8 F Sport: judo | HJT q.d. for 5 weeks (n = 9) | Placebo (n = 11) | = No significant changes in hematological parameters (RBC, Hb, Hct, GOT, GPT, BUN, and CK) attributed to HJT = No adverse events | RCT | 3 | [16] | |
16 athletes Age (range): ? Gender: all males Sport: rowing | 15 g of AM and Ganoderma lucidum extracts before training sessions for 30 days (n = 8) | Placebo (n = 8) | ↑ Total lymphocytes, CD4+ cell count, and CD4 + /CD8+ ratio after the exercises = Post-training testosterone and cortisol levels | RCT | ? | [19] | |
12 athletes Age: 20.1 ± 1.1 yo Gender: all males Sport: basketball | HJT q.d. for 8 weeks (n = 6) | Placebo (n = 6) | ↑ Anaerobic threshold ↓ Fatigue (increased time to exhaustion) | RCT | 3 | [17] |
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Antonelli, M.; Donelli, D. Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) Supplementation in Sports Training: A Systematic Review. Encyclopedia 2024, 4, 158-170. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4010014
Antonelli M, Donelli D. Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) Supplementation in Sports Training: A Systematic Review. Encyclopedia. 2024; 4(1):158-170. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4010014
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonelli, Michele, and Davide Donelli. 2024. "Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) Supplementation in Sports Training: A Systematic Review" Encyclopedia 4, no. 1: 158-170. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4010014