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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int J Sports Med 2021; 42(12): 1070-1082
DOI: 10.1055/a-1320-1061
Physiology & Biochemistry

Marine Phytoplankton Improves Exercise Recovery in Humans and Activates Repair Mechanisms in Rats

Matthew H. Sharp
1   Research Department, Applied Science & Performance Institute, Tampa, United States
,
Kazim Sahin
2   Department of Animal Nutrition, Firat University School of Veterinary Medicine, Elazig, Turkey
,
Matt W. Stefan
1   Research Department, Applied Science & Performance Institute, Tampa, United States
,
Raad H. Gheith
1   Research Department, Applied Science & Performance Institute, Tampa, United States
,
Dallen D. Reber
1   Research Department, Applied Science & Performance Institute, Tampa, United States
,
Charlie R. Ottinger
1   Research Department, Applied Science & Performance Institute, Tampa, United States
,
Cemal Orhan
2   Department of Animal Nutrition, Firat University School of Veterinary Medicine, Elazig, Turkey
,
Mehmet Tuzcu
3   Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
,
Nurhan Sahin
2   Department of Animal Nutrition, Firat University School of Veterinary Medicine, Elazig, Turkey
,
Ryan P. Lowery
1   Research Department, Applied Science & Performance Institute, Tampa, United States
,
Shane Durkee
4   Department of Consumer Health, Lonza Inc, Morristown, United States
,
Jacob M. Wilson
1   Research Department, Applied Science & Performance Institute, Tampa, United States
› Author Affiliations Funding: Lonza Consumer Health Inc. supplied treatment (Oceanix TM) and placebo conditions, and financially support the study.
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Abstract

This study investigated the effects of marine phytoplankton supplementation on 1) perceived recovery and ground reaction forces in humans following a non-functional overreaching resistance-training program and 2) myogenic molecular markers associated with muscle cell recovery in a rat model. In the human trial, a 5-week resistance-training program with intentional overreaching on weeks 2 and 5 was implemented. Results indicate that marine phytoplankton prompted positive changes in perceived recovery at post-testing and, while both marine phytoplankton and placebo conditions demonstrated decreased peak and mean rate of force development following the overreaching weeks, placebo remained decreased at post-testing while marine phytoplankton returned to baseline levels. In the rat model, rats were divided into four conditions: (i) control, (ii) exercise, (iii) exercise + marine phytoplankton 2.55 mg·d-1, or (iv) exercise+marine phytoplankton 5.1 mg·d-1. Rats in exercising conditions performed treadmill exercise 5 d·wk-1 for 6 weeks. Marine phytoplankton in exercising rats increased positive and decrease negative myogenic factors regulating satellite cell proliferation. Taken together, marine phytoplankton improved perceptual and functional indices of exercise recovery in an overreaching human model and, mechanistically, this could be driven through cell cycle regulation and a potential to improve protein turnover.

Key words

overreaching - satellite cells - myostatin - recovery - resistance-training - performance


Publication History

Received: 14 December 2020

Accepted: 12 November 2020

Article published online:
22 December 2020

© 2021. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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