Mangosteen and Indian bay leaf may help promote muscle strength
01/30/2019 / By Michelle Simmons
A recent study has suggested that supplementing with mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) and Indian bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala) may enhance muscle strength. Using both an animal model and a clinical trial on adult human males, researchers from India examined the effects of the plant extracts on muscle strength and endurance.
Earlier studies have linked the nitrate content of mangosteen and Indian bay leaf to increased nitric oxide synthesis in the body. This, in turn, may promote physical performance and tolerance to exercise. These plants have also been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
Mangosteen fruit, which is native to Southeast Asia, is a sweet, juicy, and tangy tropical fruit that has a pear-like shape and has a deep reddish-purple colored rind. The rind is widely used for its medicinal properties. It contains polyphenols, such as tannin and xanthones, and supports many body systems, such as the immune, cardiovascular, skin, and digestive systems. (Related: RAW Mangosteen and xanthones: Here’s how to get raw mangosteen powder that hasn’t been damaged by pasteurization.)
Indian bay leaf, on the other hand, is an olive green leaf with three veins that run the length of the leaf. It tastes and smells like cinnamon, cloves, and cassia. While it is most popular for its blood sugar-lowering effect, it also promotes digestive health, heart health, immunity, and a lot more.
Mangosteen and Indian bay leaf extracts promote muscle development and boost endurance
Published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the researchers first carried out an animal trial, in which they assessed how male mice performed in various physical tests after consuming the combination of mangosteen and Indian bay leaf extracts.
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For 21 days, four groups of mice orally received a placebo, 150 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) mangosteen and Indian bay leaf mixture, 300 mg/kg of the mixture, or an anabolic androgenic steroid called oxymetholone once a day. After the treatment period, they underwent two physical tests: a forced swim test and a forelimb grip strength test.
Then, the researchers collected the mice’s muscle tissue samples and found that mice receiving the mangosteen and Indian bay leaf extract mixture displayed increased swimming time. Those that received the 300 mg dose displayed improvements similar to the drug-treated mice group.
For the second part of the study, 38 healthy, resistance-trained men aged between 19 and 39 years old participated. Researchers randomly gave them two capsules of 400 mg placebo or two capsules of 400 mg of mangosteen and Indian bay leaf combination every day for 42 days. The participants were also advised to keep their regular dietary habits and avoid consuming any other nutritional supplements or energy drinks that contain creatinine, arginine, citrulline, proteins, or amino acids. They
The researchers collected their baseline measurements. Then the participants went to the lab again on days 14, 28, and 42 to perform full body exercises, such as bent rows, calf raises, and hammer curls, leg extensions on a machine to measure endurance, as well as record their body measurements.
The results showed that the combination of mangosteen and Indian bay leaf extracts, along with weight resistance training, effectively promoted muscle strength and growth, and effectively boosted endurance performance in resistance-trained young men participants. Those who received the combination supplement exhibited a greater number of repetitions in leg extension exercises and bigger arm girth increases compared to those who received the placebo.
The study was funded and carried out by Laila Nutraceuticals, which is an Indian supplier of functional ingredients and specialist of botanical extracts.
Read more news stories and studies on foods that promote muscle strength like mangosteen and Indian bay leaf by going to SuperFoods.news.
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Tagged Under: endurance, fitness, Indian bay leaf, mangosteen, muscle, muscle growth, muscle strength, muscles, natural medicines, supplements, weight training
