Sea buckthorn could be considered a nutritional cousin to the better-known aloe vera. It is a plant which innately contains a large variety of nutrients, including vitamins, amino acids, omega-3 and omega-7 fatty acids and flavonoids. It also contains a number of bioactive compounds such as quercetin, epicatechin and other polyphenols. These substances work to not only provide the body with essential raw materials, but actively work to improve a number of health markers related to antioxidant activity and inflammation.
In addition to showing potential for general health support, however, extracts from the leaves of the sea buckthorn plant may boost exercise capacity and protect against oxidative damage caused by intense or prolonged exercise, suggests recent data from an animal study. Just one week of supplementing the diet of animals with the leaf extract was associated with an almost 40 percent increase in exercise capacity during swimming.
Researchers tested the potency of the leaf extract in varying amounts, to assess the possibility of a dose-dependent relationship. Amounts were set at 50 mg, 200 mg, and 800 mg per kilogram of bodyweight, respectively.
After receiving their assigned doses, each group swam to exhaustion. Results did indicate a dose-dependent relationship, with the 50 mg group displaying an average performance increase of 26 percent, the 200 mg group an average increase of 39 percent and the 800 mg group displaying an average increase in performance of 38 percent.
In addition, sea buckthorn supplementation was associated with substantial reductions in measurements of malondialdehyde (or MDA) a reactive carbonyl compound, and a widely-used measurement of oxidative stress. Specifically, MDA levels in the sea buckthorn-supplemented group showed no increase at all post-exercise, as compared to an increase of 32 percent in the control group, suggesting strong anti-inflammatory activity.
“The results presented in this study clearly demonstrate that aqueous sea buckthorn leaf extracts have anti-fatigue effects, as evidenced by the enhancement of the swimming endurance of rats” wrote the researchers. “Aqueous sea buckthorn leaf extracts also improve the antioxidant defense mechanisms of the heart cells and provide optimal protection against strenuous exercise-induced tissue damage.”
The data in this specific study suggests that the benefits of sea buckthorn for performance enhancement may reach a point of diminishing returns in amounts between 200 and 800 mg. However, additional trials would be needed to confirm this possibility. For the moment, it appears that human nutrition may soon have a strong new supporter, as well as an exercise enhancer.
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