Effects of Resistance Exercise, Black Maca and Combined Treatment on Blood Muscle Fatigue Factors and Muscle Function in Racket Athletes

PURPOSE: This study was conducted with racket athletes at a university to determine the effect of combination of resistance exercise and black maca for four weeks on strength and endurance of trunk muscles and fatigue-related biomarkers.METHODS: There were 16 university racket athletes classified into two groups: CO (control) (n=8) and RE (resistance exercise) (n=8). Body composition and muscle function were tested before the experiment (baseline), after four weeks (racket), and after ten weeks (racket+black maca). Before measuring body composition, we collected a blood sample to measure fatigue-related biomarkers such as myoglobin, creatine kinase (CK), lactic acid, and ammonia. Black maca was purchased from Essoco.RESULTS: In both the CO and RE groups, racket+black maca lowered blood ammonia levels compared to that at the baseline (p<.05) and racket (p<.001). There were no differences in the other fatigue-related factors. In the muscle function test, the racket+black maca increased the extension and flexion strength compared to that at the baseline (p<.05), while only extension strength increased after racket (p<.05) in the RE group. In both groups, the racket+black maca increased the extension and flexion endurance compared to that at the baseline (p<.05).CONCLUSIONS: Black maca intake effectively lowered the blood ammonia levels and improved muscle function. The effect on muscle function enhanced significantly when combined with resistance exercises. These results suggest that combination of black maca and resistance exercise may help improve exercise performance.