ergo-log.com

Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "

25.03.2022

Oligonol, a muscle-building supplement based on lychees

If muscle cells lose their sensitivity to insulin, supplementation with lychee extract may reduce muscle breakdown, we reported a few days ago after reading a interesting animal study. According to yet another animal study, lychee extract supplementation may also slow down muscle breakdown due to aging.

Study
Researchers from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan experimented with 3 groups of mice, which were 32 weeks old when the trial started. Some of the mice aged relatively normally [not quite right, but okay] [SAMR1].

Another part of the mice aged at an accelerated rate [SAMP8], and already started to show muscle loss at the age of 32 weeks. Some of these SAMP8 mice were given standard chow during the experiment, while other mice were given feed in which the researchers had put a lychee extract.

If the mice had been adult humans, they would have received 150-200 milligrams of extract daily. The researchers used an Amino Up product. [aminoupworld.com] Amino Up paid for the research.

Results
When the researchers weighed the gastrocnemius muscle of the test animals after 8 weeks of supplementation, they saw that the muscle in the rapidly aging SAMP8 mice was smaller than in the less rapidly aging SAMR1 mice. However, in the SAMP8 mice that had been given oligonol, this decrease in muscle mass was significantly reduced.

That was also the case with muscle strength.

Mechanism
Part of the anti-catabolic mechanism of action of oligonol can be seen above. Supplementation reduced the production of the catabolic signaling molecules MURF-1 and MAFbx in the muscle cells of the mice.

That's not the whole story, however. Oligonol supplementation also activated the anabolic signaling molecules like mTOR.

To top it off, oliginol increased the production of key mitochondrial molecules such as Tfam and PGC-1-alpha. These allow cells to create more and above all new mitochondria [second figure above], so that cells can convert more nutrients into energy.

Conclusion
"Our study reveals that oligonol is an effective therapeutic approach to sarcopenia via regulation of signaling pathways involved in protein turnover and mitochondrial quality", the researchers conclude.

Source:
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019 May;63(10):e1801102.

More:
Lychees inhibit muscle breakdown | Animal study 22.03.2022
Lychee extract boosts athletes' endurance capacity 09.03.2014

Archives:
Unusual Muscle Building Strategies
Lychees

Strength training results in more muscle mass and strength if you supplement with capsiate If you train with weights, supplementation with 12 milligrams of capsiate per day accelerates the rate at which your muscle mass and strength increase.	Curcumin supplementation | More stem cells in recovering muscles in old age If people respond just as well to curcumin as lab mice, then supplementation with an easily absorbable form of curcumin will not only extend their lifespan. In addition...	Black Seed Oil makes you lose fat without losing muscle mass If you are going to try to get rid of the Christmas kilos in the new year, and could use some help, then Black Seed Oil might be of use to you.