Exercise Recovery

This study is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial designed to examine whether 8 weeks of Cistanche deserticola supplementation, when combined with a standardized anaerobic training program, can improve anaerobic exercise performance, recovery, and selected body composition outcomes in young adult men with different athletic training levels. Participants will be assigned to receive either Cistanche deserticola extract or a matched placebo while completing the same supervised anaerobic training program. The study will assess changes in anaerobic performance, including Wingate test outcomes and jump performance, as well as recovery-related indicators such as blood lactate, creatine kinase, malondialdehyde, testosterone, cortisol, and the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio. Body composition outcomes, including body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass, will also be evaluated. The purpose of this study is to determine whether Cistanche deserticola supplementation provides additional benefits beyond training alone, and whether these effects differ between highly trained and recreationally trained participants.

Athletes frequently perform high-intensity exercise to improve physical performance and aerobic capacity. However, such training can induce exercise-induced muscle damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses that may delay recovery and compromise subsequent training adaptations. Optimizing recovery strategies is therefore essential to maintain performance, reduce injury risk, and support long-term athletic development. Cordyceps is a medicinal mushroom that contains several bioactive compounds, including cordycepin and polysaccharides, which have demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Although previous studies have reported beneficial effects of Cordyceps supplementation on exercise performance and physiological function, limited evidence exists regarding the optimal timing of supplementation relative to exercise. This study aims to investigate the effects of different Cordyceps supplementation timing strategies on physiological responses and aerobic adaptation following acute and chronic exercise training. Participants will be assigned to receive Cordyceps supplementation before exercise, after exercise, or placebo. The study will evaluate biomarkers of inflammation (IL-6), oxidative stress (MDA), muscle damage (CK), aerobic capacity (VO2max), and neuromuscular performance assessed using countermovement jump (CMJ) testing. The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence-based recommendations regarding nutritional recovery strategies and supplementation timing to optimize recovery and training adaptation in athletes and physically active individuals.

Eccentric exercise, particularly when novel and strenuous, can cause soreness and inflammation, impairing subsequent exercise performance. These performance decrements are attributable to oxidative stress and inflammation. Interestingly, a single bout of eccentric exercise can confer protective effects, ameliorating the negative consequences in subsequent bouts. This is termed the repeated bout effect (RBE), which would be of interest to athletes considering the detrimental effects of strenuous eccentric exercise. Athletes regularly consume supplements in hope of attenuating the performance decrements after strenuous eccentric exercise . However, considering the dose-response relationship between the initial performance decrement and the magnitude of the RBE , supplements may diminish the obtainment of the RBE. This notion remains untested, and so the proposed project is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study aiming to assess the effects of acute vitamin C and ibuprofen supplementation on the development of the RBE. These two supplements were chosen as they are most frequently and successfully used in the literature to target oxidative stress (vitamin C) and inflammation (ibuprofen). Additionally, these doses (and the timing of supplements) were chosen to mimic protocols reporting beneficial effects

INTRODUCTION: Sports supplements and ergogenic aids are widely used for performance enhancement in recreational and professional sports. Athletes undergo intense training to improve their cardiorespiratory and muscular systems, aiming for positive adaptations. However, intensified training without appropriate dietary support can pose risks such as inadequate muscle recovery, weakened immune function, and reduced sleep quality, leading to increased susceptibility to illness and heightened physiological and psychological stress. The recent removal of cannabidiol (CBD) from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list has increased its popularity among athletes for its potential benefits on recovery and sleep. However, concerns about its safety and legality in sport persist, leading many governing bodies to caution against its use. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) supplement, exhibits anti-inflammatory effects and supports joint health. It also shows potential for stress and anxiety management, with ongoing research demonstrating this. Levagen+®, a formulated PEA, offers a safe, legal alternative to CBD, showing promise for recovery and sleep improvements. Additionally, PEA demonstrates neuroprotective and immunomodulating properties, indicating the potential benefits for athlete health, performance, and recovery. However, further research is needed to confirm Levagen+®'s efficacy as an ergogenic aid, especially in endurance sports. The aim of this trial is to explore the effects of Levagen+® supplementation on physical, physiological and psychological recovery during a prolonged period (one week) of intensified cycling training, when administered over a period of 45 days.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dose-dependent effects of glucosyl-hesperidin (CITRAPEAK) supplementation on exercise performance, recovery indicators, blood flow, cognitive function, mood, sleep, and fuel utilization in recreationally active adults.

Exercise retraining improves the prognosis and quality of life of patients with chronic lung or circulatory diseases. However, exercise intolerance may be caused by excessive ventilatory. Exposure to oxygen-replete air reduces this ventilatory overload, improves sleep and enhances responses to exercise. This study examine the impact of the acute manipulation of oxygen availability during inter-exercise recovery period of an intermittent cycling exercise on perceptual responses. this randomized, controlled, study include adult patient with COPD. On separate days, 50 patients with COPD completed four sets of 4-min at 85% of VO2peak intercept by 3-min of passive recovery in two randomized between-sets recovery conditions. Rating exertion perception, gaz exchanges, heart rate, sleep quality and nocturnal heart rate variability were assessed. Hypoxic exposure during inter-repetition recovery phases would reduce the ventilatory load during exercise. What's more, patients would not be forced to perform the sporting gesture in a restricted space or wearing a mask, limiting dyspnea and the perceived difficulty of the effort. Lastly, the induction of hypoxic stress during the re-training session helped to improve patients' sleep.

TECAR therapy (Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive) is a type of diathermy that uses radiant energy to generate endogenous heat. However, to the date there are no studies investigating the effects of TECAR therapy on exercise preconditioning and post-exercise recovery in humans. Therefore, the aim of this project is to assess the effects of different treatment protocols of TECAR therapy on. exercise preconditioning and post-exercise recovery in humans

This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to examine the effects of pre-sleep creatine monohydrate supplementation on anaerobic performance and muscle damage markers in recreationally active females. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either 5 grams of creatine monohydrate or a placebo 30 minutes before sleep for seven consecutive days. Anaerobic performance will be assessed using the Wingate Anaerobic Test, evaluating peak and average power output and fatigue index. Blood samples will be collected before and after the supplementation period to analyze markers of muscle damage, including creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. This study aims to provide insight into the efficacy of short-term, time-specific creatine supplementation for enhancing performance and recovery.

Oral Melatonin is a commercially available product available alone and as a constituent in a number of supplements. Previous research suggests that short-term supplementation with oral melatonin may amplify the recovery response to damaging resistance exercise via modulation of subsequent immune and inflammatory responses. However the effects of oral melatonin on neutrophil and monocyte invasion/migration, a critical step in the resolution of skeletal muscle tissue homeostasis, has not been examined. An oral melatonin supplement (5mg) will be provided three times daily beginning 24-hours before and ending 48-hours after an acute bout of damaging resistance exercise (total 15mg/day for 3 days). Goals: 1. To investigate the effect of melatonin on systemic and cellular responses following an acute bout of damaging resistance exercise. 2. To investigate the effect of melatonin on measures of functional performance before and during recovery from an acute bout of damaging resistance exercise.

The aim of the clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of two novel hydration products on rehydration following exercise.