Antifatigue effects
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complicated disorder characterized by persistent fatigue that lasts for at least 6 months for adults and 3 months for children or adolescents, with at least four additional symptoms: impaired memory or concentration, sore throat, tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes, muscle pain, multi-joint pain, new headaches, unrefreshing sleep, or post-exertion malaise.55–58 The fatigue is not due to exertion, not significantly relieved by rest, and is not caused by other medical conditions. The Centers for Disease Control report that more than 1 million Americans have CFS and approximately 80% of the cases are undiagnosed. Approximately 250,000 people in the UK are affected with the illness according to the National Health Service. Pharmacotherapy plays a minor role in CFS management, but herbal medicines may produce some benefits for CFS. The antifatigue effect of LBPs was tested with five different doses (5 mg/kg/day, 10 mg/kg/day, 20 mg/kg/day, 50 mg/kg/day, and 100 mg/kg/day) in mice.59 The results showed that LBPs induced remarkable adaptability to exercise load, enhanced resistance, and accelerated elimination of fatigue. LBPs could enhance the storage of muscle and liver glycogen, increase the activity of LDH before and after swimming, decrease the increase of blood urea nitrogen after strenuous exercise, and accelerate the clearance of blood urea nitrogen after exercise. The dosage of 10 mg/kg/day LBPs was the most effective among the five tested doses.59