Saengmaeg-san as an ergogenic aid: improving exercise performance

Abstract

Sports drinks help optimize and improve performance by delaying and eliminating the buildup of fatigue-causing substances in the body during exercise. Saengmaeg-san is a nature-friendly traditional beverage that has no side effects on the human body and can quench thirst. However, studies on the relationship between exercise ability and Saengmaeg-san are insufficient. The purpose of this study was to prescribe Saengmaeg-san during the summer training period of 4 weeks and to analyze the effect on body composition and exercise performance. Seventeen male participants were divided into 3 groups (Saengmaeg-san acid intake group [n=9], placebo group [n=8]), and body composition (height, weight, muscle mass, fat mass, BMI) and conducted exercise performance (total exercise time and HRmax). In our study, Saengmaeg-san intake had a positive effect on exercise performance, such as decreased body fat percentage, increased exercise time, and decreased HRmax. Therefore, Saengmaeg-san showed the potential as a sports drink. In the future, additional studies on fatigue-related substances, immune function-markers, and blood lipids are needed in order to clearly explain the change in exercise performance due to consumption of Saengmaeg-san.