Methods for improving physical exercise performance
The present invention relates to compositions, uses and methods for improving physical exercise performance, and/or improving adaptation to physical exercise, and/or modulating the concentration of lactate and/or glucose in the blood of a human subject.
1 . A method of increasing blood lactate concentration during physical exercise in a human subject, comprising orally administering to the human subject, less than six hours before the exercise, a composition comprising an effective amount of (i) sulforaphane, (ii) glucoraphanin and myrosinase, (iii) sulforaphane and myrosinase, or (iv) sulforaphane, glucoraphanin and myrosinase, with the proviso that when the composition comprises glucoraphanin it further comprises myrosinase; wherein, at a matched workload, the human subject's blood lactate concentration is higher relative to when the same human subject performs the exercise without having been administered the composition.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the human subject is administered a composition comprising sulforaphane.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the human subject is administered a composition comprising glucoraphanin and myrosinase.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the human subject is administered a composition comprising sulforaphane, glucoraphanin and myrosinase.
5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the composition is for oral administration, and is administered orally to the human subject by direct ingestion, buccal administration, or sublingual administration.
6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein, the composition is in a tablet, a capsule, a lozenge, a chewing gum, a solution, an elixir or a suspension.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered once acutely in a single dose.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the composition is administered to the human subject less than five hours before; or less than three hours before; or less than two hours before; or less than one hour before physical exercise, or about 90 minutes before physical exercise.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the composition is in a juice form in an amount equivalent to that produced by 150 grams of fresh broccoli sprouts.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the juice comprises homogenized broccoli sprouts and water.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered daily, for a period of at least two days.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the composition is further administered daily, for a period of three days, or four days, or five days, or six days, or seven days, or two weeks, or three weeks, or four weeks, or one month.
13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises sulforaphane and/or glucoraphanin in the form of at least 150 grams of broccoli sprouts.
14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the subject exhibits improved physical exercise relative to when the subject performs the same exercise without the composition, wherein the improved exercise performance comprises increased time-to-exhaustion at a constant workload, increased mechanical power output, or increased maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max).
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the improved physical exercise comprises one or more of increased time-to-exhaustion at a constant workload, increased mechanical power output, or increased maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max).
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the source of sulforaphane and/or glucoraphanin is selected from the group consisting of: broccoli sprouts or an extract thereof; mature broccoli or an extract thereof; Brussels sprouts or an extract thereof; kale sprouts or an extract thereof; kale or an extract thereof; cabbage or an extract thereof; cabbage sprouts or an extract thereof; cauliflower or an extract thereof; cauliflower sprouts or an extract thereof; broccoli raab or an extract thereof; broccoli raab sprouts or an extract thereof; red kale or an extract thereof; red kale sprouts or an extract thereof; kohlrabi or an extract thereof; kohlrabi sprouts or an extract thereof; and red mizuna or an extract thereof; red mizuna sprouts or an extract thereof.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the total amount of glucosinolates in the broccoli sprouts is about 46 μmol per gram fresh weight.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the amounts of glucoraphanin and glucoiberin in the broccoli sprouts are about 2.3 μg per gram tissue weight and about 0.15 μg per gram tissue weight, respectively.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the amount of broccoli sprouts administered is at least 150 g per day.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the source of myrosinase is selected from the group consisting of: brown mustard seeds or an extract thereof; white mustard seeds or an extract thereof; yellow mustard seeds or an extract thereof; rocket (arugula) or an extract thereof;
rocket seeds or an extract thereof; rocket sprouts or an extract thereof; garden cress or an extract thereof; garden cress seeds or an extract thereof; garden cress sprouts or an extract thereof; wasabi or an extract thereof; wasabi seeds or an extract thereof; wasabi sprouts or an extract thereof; daikon or an extract thereof; daikon seeds or an extract thereof; daikon sprouts or an extract thereof; horseradish or an extract thereof; horseradish seeds or an extract thereof; horseradish sprouts or an extract thereof; radish or an extract thereof; radish seeds or an extract thereof; radish sprouts or an extract thereof; and purified or isolated myrosinase.
21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the matched workload is defined as a mechanical power output within +5% of a baseline value for the subject.
22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein blood lactate concentration is measured by an enzymatic assay using capillary or venous blood.
23 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the human subject is administered a composition comprising sulforaphane and myrosinase.
24 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the human subject is administered a composition comprising sulforaphane, glucoraphanin, and myrosinase.