본 연구의 목적은 남자 테니스 선수의 생맥산 섭취가 혈중 지질 및 동맥경화 지수에 미치 는 영향을 조사하는 것이었다. 남자 대학 테니스 선수 17 명을 4 주간의 고강도 테니스 하계훈련 중 생 맥산 섭취 여부에 따라 생맥산 섭취군(n=9)과 위약 대조군(n=8)으로 나누었다. 테니스 하계훈련은 4 주 간 주 5 회 실시하였으며, 운동강도는 예비심박수의 70~90%로 실시하였다. 생맥산은 아침 식사 전, 운 동 중, 운동 중, 운동 후 1 회 110ml, 저녁 식사 후 1 일 총 7 회 770ml 를 섭취하였다. 모든 데이터에 대해 평균 및 표준 편차를 사용하였으며, 시기간 및 생맥산 섭취그룹의 효과를 확인하기 위하여 반복 측정분산분석법을 사용하였고, 생맥산 섭취 후 혈중 지질의 차이에 대한 관련성을 알아보기 위하여 Pearson 의 상관분석을 실시하였다. 본 연구결과, 생맥산 섭취군은 혈중 지질(중성지방, 총콜레스테롤, 고밀도지단백콜레스테롤, 저밀도지단백 콜레스테롤)과 동맥경화지수가 유의하게 개선되었으며, ⲆTG, Ⲇ LDL 및 ⲆTC 간에는 유의한 상관관계가 나타났다. 결론적으로 남자 대학 테니스 선수의 고강도 트레이 닝 시 생맥산 섭취는 혈중 지질 및 동맥경화 지수에 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 수 있어 운동 보조제로서 효 과적인 스포츠 음료가 될 수 있음을 시사한다.

Dietary supplements derived from natural sources are an essential factor in optimizing athletic performance. It has been proposed that the extract of Momordica charantia (M. charantia) that is known as a bitter melon can be potentially used as a novel supplement for health promotion. This pilot study aimed to examine the effects of the M. charantia extract when administered in the form of a sports drink, and we evaluated changes in body composition and metabolic factors in tennis players after 4-week consumption of the extract. Eight male college tennis players were instructed to consume an M. charantia extract 6 times per day (3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon, and the total daily intake was 600 ml). Collected data were analyzed using paired t-tests to examine the changes over time after consumption of the M. charantia extract. The results revealed a significant increase in the trunk muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, and daily calorie intake (p < 0.05). Levels of protein, minerals, and total body water showed an increased tendency (not statistically significant), whereas intracellular water and extracellular water showed a decreased trend. Furthermore, fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, and muscle mass showed an increased tendency. In conclusion, consumption of the M. charantia extract caused an increase in parameters related to protein, muscle mass, and metabolism. It seems that follow-up studies related to fatigue, inflammation, and stress hormones related to the M. charantia extract consumption would be needed.

Childhood obesity causes a higher risk of obesity, premature death and disability in adulthood. In addition, obese children experience an increased risk of respiratory problems, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effects. This study aimed to investigate how an exercise intervention affects health-related physical fitness and inflammatory-related blood factors in obese children after. We hypothesized that there would be positive effects on serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), connecting peptide(C-peptide) and resistin, as well as in muscle and cardiovascular-related physical capacities, after an exercise intervention in obese children. Thirty-seven obese children haveperformed health-related fitness tests and provided blood samples for the analysis of changes in circulating biomarkers, both before and after an 8-week exercise intervention, which includes stretching, aerobic exercise, resistance exercise and sports games. The results indicate that exercise training beneficially affects body compositions, especially percentage body fat and muscle mass, without influencing to body weight and height. The results of the physical fitness tests show that muscle and cardiovascular capacity were increased in obese children in response to exercise training. Simultaneously, the exercise training decreased circulating levels of C-peptide, which equated to a “large” effect size. Although there were no significant effects on the levels of IGF-1 and resistin, they show a “small” effect size. Therefore, our findings suggest that the exercise intervention have beneficial effects on body composition and physical fitness levels in obese children, whichmight be associated with the decline in circulating C-peptide.