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Garcia JF, Arribalzaga S, Díez R, Lopez C, Fernandez MN, Garcia JJ, Diez MJ, Seco-Calvo J, Sierra M, Sahagún AM. Herbs as an Active Ingredient in Sport: Availability and Information on the Internet. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14132764. [PMID: 35807943 PMCID: PMC9268717 DOI: 10.3390/nu14132764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of supplements containing herbal active ingredients in sport has increased in recent years. Their consumption is explained by the benefits they may provide and because their natural origin do not involve health complications, from the point of view of the consumers. The aim of this study is to analyze the availability of four supplements (caffeine, turmeric, ginseng, cannabidiol) on the internet and understand the nature of these websites. A descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study design was used. A detailed search was carried out with specifically developed software. The searches and data evaluation took 10 days. The websites consulted correspond to those that sell supplements, or some sport websites in the case of the Spanish ones, whereas those in English belong to pharmacies, parapharmacies, or herbalists. It is concluded that the websites do not provide adequate information to ensure proper consumption and lack advice on the choices of supplements and their administration guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F. Garcia
- Department of Mechanical, Informatics and Aerospatiale Engineering, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain;
| | - Soledad Arribalzaga
- Physiotherapy Department, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Campus de Vegazana, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain;
| | - Raquel Díez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Veterinary Faculty, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain; (R.D.); (C.L.); (M.N.F.); (J.J.G.); (M.J.D.); (M.S.); (A.M.S.)
| | - Cristina Lopez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Veterinary Faculty, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain; (R.D.); (C.L.); (M.N.F.); (J.J.G.); (M.J.D.); (M.S.); (A.M.S.)
| | - M. Nelida Fernandez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Veterinary Faculty, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain; (R.D.); (C.L.); (M.N.F.); (J.J.G.); (M.J.D.); (M.S.); (A.M.S.)
| | - Juan J. Garcia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Veterinary Faculty, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain; (R.D.); (C.L.); (M.N.F.); (J.J.G.); (M.J.D.); (M.S.); (A.M.S.)
| | - M. Jose Diez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Veterinary Faculty, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain; (R.D.); (C.L.); (M.N.F.); (J.J.G.); (M.J.D.); (M.S.); (A.M.S.)
| | - Jesús Seco-Calvo
- Physiotherapy Department, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Campus de Vegazana, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain;
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Visiting Researcher of Basque Country University, 48900 Leioa, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Matilde Sierra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Veterinary Faculty, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain; (R.D.); (C.L.); (M.N.F.); (J.J.G.); (M.J.D.); (M.S.); (A.M.S.)
| | - Ana M. Sahagún
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Veterinary Faculty, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain; (R.D.); (C.L.); (M.N.F.); (J.J.G.); (M.J.D.); (M.S.); (A.M.S.)
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Development of a "Cooling" Menthol Energy Gel for Endurance Athletes: Effect of Menthol Concentration on Acceptability and Preferences. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2021; 31:40-45. [PMID: 33248439 DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Menthol is effective at stimulating thermosensitive neurons that evoke pleasant cooling sensations. Internal application of menthol can be ergogenic for athletes, and hence, addition of menthol to sports nutrition products may be beneficial for athletes. The aim of this study was to develop a menthol energy gel for consumption during exercise and to determine acceptability and preferences for gels with different menthol concentrations. With a randomized, crossover, and double-blind placebo-controlled design, 40 endurance athletes (20 females) ingested an energy gel with a menthol additive at a high (0.5%; HIGH) or low concentration (0.1%; LOW), or a mint-flavored placebo (CON), on separate occasions during outdoor endurance training sessions. The athletes rated the gels for cooling sensation, mint flavor intensity, sweetness, and overall experience and provided feedback. Results are reported as median (interquartile range). Both menthol gels successfully delivered a cooling sensation, with a significantly greater response for HIGH (5.0 [4.0-5.0]) compared with LOW (3.5 [3.0-4.0]; p = .022) and CON (1.0 [1.0-2.0]; p < .0005), and LOW compared with CON (p < .0005). Ratings of mint flavor intensity followed the same trend as cooling sensation, while ratings of overall experience were significantly worse for HIGH (2.0 [1.0-3.0]) compared with LOW (4.0 [2.0-4.0]; p = .001) and CON (4.0 [3.0-4.0]; p < .0005). An energy gel with the addition of menthol at 0.1-0.5% provides a cooling sensation for athletes with a dose-response when ingested during exercise. The 0.1% concentration is recommended to maximize the overall experience of the gel.
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