Influence of Chlorella powder intake during swimming stress in mice

Chlorella Supplementation Reduces Blood Lactate Concentration and Increases O2 Pulse during Submaximal and Maximal Cycling in Young Healthy Adults

Chlorella supplementation is reported to improve V˙O2max following extended supplementation periods (~3 weeks). However, there is little research on its impact over submaximal exercise intensities and following shorter supplementation regimens. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of 6 g/day 2-day chlorella supplementation on exercise performance in healthy young adults. Twenty young healthy adults (Males = 16, Females = 4) (Age 22 ± 6 years, V˙O2max 42.7 ± 9.6 mL/(kg·min)) were recruited for this double-blinded, randomised cross-over study. Participants ingested 6 g/day of chlorella or a placebo for 2 days, with a one-week washout period between trials. Exercise testing consisted of a 20 min submaximal cycle at 40% of their work rate max (WRmax) (watts), followed by an incremental V˙O2max test. Lactate (mmol/L), heart rate (b/min), oxygen consumption (mL/(kg·min)), O2 pulse (mL/beat), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and WRmax were compared across conditions. Following chlorella supplementation, blood lactate levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05) during submaximal exercise (3.05 ± 0.92 mmol/L vs. 2.67 ± 0.79 mmol/L) and following V˙O2max tests (12.79 ± 2.61 mmol/L vs. 11.56 ± 3.43 mmol/L). The O2 pulse was significantly higher (p < 0.05) following chlorella supplementation during submaximal (12.6 ± 3.5 mL/beat vs. 13.1 ± 3.5 mL/beat) and maximal exercise intensity (16.7 ± 4.6 mL/beat vs. 17.2 ± 4.5 mL/beat). No differences existed between conditions for oxygen consumption, RER, V˙O2max, or WRmax. A total of 2 days of 6 g/day chlorella supplementation appears to lower the blood lactate response and increase O2 pulse during both submaximal and maximal intensity exercise but did not lead to any improvements in V˙O2max.

Bioactivity of Macronutrients from Chlorella in Physical Exercise

Chlorella is a marine microalga rich in proteins and containing all the essential amino acids. Chlorella also contains fiber and other polysaccharides, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. The proportion of the different macronutrients in Chlorella can be modulated by altering the conditions in which it is cultured. The bioactivities of these macronutrients make Chlorella a good candidate food to include in regular diets or as the basis of dietary supplements in exercise-related nutrition both for recreational exercisers and professional athletes. This paper reviews current knowledge of the effects of the macronutrients in Chlorella on physical exercise, specifically their impact on performance and recovery. In general, consuming Chlorella improves both anaerobic and aerobic exercise performance as well as physical stamina and reduces fatigue. These effects seem to be related to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic activity of all its macronutrients, while each component of Chlorella contributes its bioactivity via a specific action. Chlorella is an excellent dietary source of high-quality protein in the context of physical exercise, as dietary proteins increase satiety, activation of the anabolic mTOR (mammalian Target of Rapamycin) pathway in skeletal muscle, and the thermic effects of meals. Chlorella proteins also increase intramuscular free amino acid levels and enhance the ability of the muscles to utilize them during exercise. Fiber from Chlorella increases the diversity of the gut microbiota, which helps control body weight and maintain intestinal barrier integrity, and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which improve physical performance. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from Chlorella contribute to endothelial protection and modulate the fluidity and rigidity of cell membranes, which may improve performance. Ultimately, in contrast to several other nutritional sources, the use of Chlorella to provide high-quality protein, dietary fiber, and bioactive fatty acids may also significantly contribute to a sustainable world through the fixation of carbon dioxide and a reduction of the amount of land used to produce animal feed.

The Efficacy of Chlorella Supplementation on Multiple Indices of Cycling Performance

This study investigated the effects of chlorella supplementation on submaximal endurance, time trial performance, lactate threshold, and power indices during a repeated sprint performance test by fourteen male trained cyclists. Participants ingested 6 g/day of chlorella or placebo for 21-days in a double-blinded randomized counter-balanced cross-over design, with a fourteen-day washout period between trials. Each completed a 2-day testing period comprising a 1-hour submaximal endurance test at 55% external power output max and a 16.1 km time trial (Day-1), followed by a lactate threshold (Dmax) and repeated sprint performance tests (3 X 20 s sprints interspersed by 4-mins) (Day-2). Heart rate (b.min-1), RER, V̇O2 (ml·kg-1·min-1), lactate and glucose (mmol/L), time (secs), power output (W/kg), and hemoglobin (g/L) were compared across conditions. Following chlorella supplementation (chlorella vs. placebo for each measurement) average lactate and heart rate were significantly lower (p < 0.05) during submaximal endurance tests (1.68 ± 0.50 mmol/L vs. 1.91 ± 0.65 mmol/L & 138 ± 11b.min-1 vs. 144 ± 10b.min-1), average power and peak power (W/kg) were significantly higher during repeated sprint bouts (9.5 ± 0.7 W/kg vs. 9.0 ± 0.7 W/kg & 12.0 ± 1.2 W/kg vs. 11.4 ± 1.4 W/kg), hemoglobin significantly increased (149.1 ± 10.3 g/L) in comparison to placebo (143.4 ± 8.7 g/L) (p = 0.05). No differences existed between conditions for all oxygen consumption values, 16.1 km time trial measures and lactate threshold tests (p > 0.05). In conclusion, chlorella may pose as an additional supplement for cyclists to consider, particularly for those cyclists who want to improve their sprinting.

Chlorella vulgaris in combination with high intensity interval training in overweight and obese women: a randomized double-blind clinical trial

Background

Chlorella vulgaris (CV) as a multifunctional dietary supplement is known with lots of health benefits. It is possible that CV consumption along with high-intensity interval training (HIIT), a short period exercise is more beneficial. This investigation aimed to evaluate the effects of CV and/or HIIT on anthropometric parameters and cardiometabolic risk factors among overweight or obese women.

Methods

Present randomized double-blind clinical trial, included 46 women with overweight or obesity and randomly assigned them to four groups including CV, HIIT, CV+HIIT, and placebo. CV supplementation was 900 mg a day and HIIT program 3 sessions a week. Dietary intake, anthropometric assays and blood samples were taken at the commencement and completion of 8-week intervention.

Results

After 8 weeks, waist circumference (WC) significantly reduced in CV+HIIT group in comparison with placebo group. Significant decreases in triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels were found after CV supplementation and/or HIIT exercise in comparison with placebo group. A significant rise in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level was observed in HIIT and HIIT + CV groups in comparison with placebo group, however CV consumption failed to affect HDL cholesterol levels. CV and/or HIIT significantly lowered, visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulating product (LAP) and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) in comparison with placebo. However, concurrent administration of CV and HII resulted in greater reduction in this indexes. Among glycemic indices a significant reduction in insulin resistance in CV+HIIT group compared with placebo group were seen.

Conclusions

In conclusion, CV and HIIT could improve lipid profile and glycemic status in overweight and obese women.

Effects of combined exercise training and Chlorella intake on vasorelaxation mediated by nitric oxide in aged mice

Chronic Chlorella intake and aerobic exercise training reduce arterial stiffness and increase circulating nitric oxide (NO) levels, which has beneficial effects. This study aimed to clarify the combined aortic NO-mediated effects of chronic Chlorella intake and aerobic exercise training on endothelial vasorelaxation in aged mice. In this study, 38-week-old male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 1 (SAMP1) mice were divided into aged sedentary control (Con), aerobic exercise training (AT; voluntary wheel running for 12 weeks), Chlorella intake (CH; 0.5% Chlorella powder in normal diet), and AT and CH combined (AT+CH) groups. Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation by addition of acetylcholine to the isolated mouse aortic rings was significantly higher in the AT, CH, and AT+CH groups than in the Con group; a significantly greater effect was seen in the AT+CH group than in the AT and CH groups. Similarly, plasma and arterial nitrite/nitrate levels and arterial endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation were significantly higher in the AT, CH, and AT+CH groups than in the Con group; the AT+CH group had higher values than the AT and CH groups. Thus, chronic Chlorella intake combined with aerobic exercise training had pronounced effects on endothelial vasorelaxation in aged mice via an additive increase in arterial NO production. Novelty: Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation was improved by Chlorella intake and exercise. Chlorella intake and exercise increased arterial Akt/eNOS/NO signaling. This combination approach further improved vasorelaxation via arterial NO production.

Effect of combination of chlorella intake and aerobic exercise training on glycemic control in type 2 diabetic rats

OBJECTIVES

Chlorella is a type of unicellular green algae that contains various nutrients. Habitual exercise and chlorella treatment can improve insulin resistance in obese or diabetic animal models. However, the additive effects of combined chlorella intake and aerobic exercise training remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a combination of chlorella intake and aerobic exercise training would produce greater effects on improving glycemic control in rats with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

Twenty-wk-old male rats with type 2 diabetes (Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty [OLETF] rats) were randomly divided into four groups: sedentary control, aerobic exercise training (treadmill running for 1 h, 25m/min, 5 d/wk), chlorella intake (0.5% chlorella powder in normal diet), or combination of aerobic exercise training and chlorella intake for 8 wk (n = 7 per group).

RESULTS

Chlorella intake and aerobic exercise training significantly decreased fasting blood glucose, insulin levels, and total glucose area under the curve during the oral glucose tolerance test and increased the insulin sensitivity index concomitant with muscle phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) activity, protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation, and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation levels. Furthermore, a combination of chlorella intake and aerobic exercise training significantly further improved these effects compared with aerobic exercise training or chlorella intake alone.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggested that chlorella intake combined with aerobic exercise training had more pronounced effects on the improvement of glycemic control via further activation of muscle PI3K/Akt/GLUT4 signaling in rats with type 2 diabetes.

High-intensity intermittent exercise training with chlorella intake accelerates exercise performance and muscle glycolytic and oxidative capacity in rats

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic chlorella intake alone or in combination with high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) training on exercise performance and muscle glycolytic and oxidative metabolism in rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the four groups: sedentary control, chlorella intake (0.5% chlorella powder in normal feed), HIIE training, and combination of HIIE training and chlorella intake for 6 wk ( n = 10 each group). HIIE training comprised 14 repeats of a 20-s swimming session with a 10-s pause between sessions, while bearing a weight equivalent to 16% of body weight, 4 days/week. Exercise performance was tested after the interventions by measuring the maximal number of HIIE sessions that could be completed. Chlorella intake and HIIE training significantly increased the maximal number of HIIE sessions and enhanced the expression of monocarboxylate transporter (MCT)1, MCT4, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α concomitantly with the activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), phosphofructokinase, citrate synthase (CS), and cytochrome- c oxidase (COX) in the red region of the gastrocnemius muscle. Furthermore, the combination further augmented the increased exercise performance and the enhanced expressions and activities. By contrast, in the white region of the muscle, MCT1 expression and LDH, CS, and COX activities did not change. These results showed that compared with only chlorella intake and only HIIE training, chlorella intake combined with HIIE training has a more pronounced effect on exercise performance and muscle glycolytic and oxidative metabolism, in particular, lactate metabolism.

Chlorella-derived multicomponent supplementation increases aerobic endurance capacity in young individuals

Chlorella, a unicellular green alga, contains a variety of nutrients including amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. A previous animal study found that maximal swimming time in mice increased after 14 days on a diet including Chlorella powder compared to no change in swimming performance on a normal diet. However, it is currently unknown whether Chlorella-derived multicomponent supplementation increases aerobic endurance capacity in humans. We investigated the effects of Chlorella-derived supplementation on peak oxygen uptake during incremental maximal cycling in young individuals using a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study design. Seven men and three women (mean age, 21.3 year) were allocated to placebo or Chlorella tablets (15 tablets × twice per day) for 4 weeks, with at least a 6-week washout period between trials, in a randomized order. Peak oxygen uptake significantly increased after Chlorella supplementation (before vs after, 37.9 ± 1.9 vs 41.4 ± 1.9 ml/kg/min, p = 0.003), but not with placebo (39.4 ± 2.2 vs 40.1 ± 2.1 ml/kg/min, p = 0.38). The change in peak oxygen uptake over the 4-week trial was significantly greater in the Chlorella trial than in the placebo trial (3.5 ± 0.9 vs 0.7 ± 0.8 ml/kg/min, p = 0.03). These results suggest that Chlorella-derived multicomponent supplementation increases aerobic endurance capacity in young individuals.

Anti-fatigue activity of polysaccharides from the fruits of four Tibetan plateau indigenous medicinal plants

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The fruits of Hippophae rhamnoides L., Lycium barbarum L., Lycium ruthenicum Murr. and Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. are traditional medicinal food of Tibetans and used to alleviate fatigue caused by oxygen deficiency for thousands of years. The present study focused on exploiting natural polysaccharides with remarkable anti-fatigue activity from the four Qinghai-Tibet plateau characteristic berries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The fruits of Hippophae rhamnoides, Lycium barbarum, Lycium ruthenicum and Nitraria tangutorum were collected from Haixi national municipality of Mongol and Tibetan (N 36.32°, E98.11°; altitude: 3100 m), Qinghai, China. Their polysaccharides (HRWP, LBWP, LRWP and NTWP) were isolated by hot-water extraction, and purified by DEAE-Cellulose ion-exchange chromatography. The total carbohydrate, uronic acid, protein and starch contents of polysaccharides were determined by a spectrophotometric method. The molecular weight distributions of polysaccharides were determined by gel filtration chromatography. Their monosaccharide composition analysis was performed by the method of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) pre-column derivatization and RP-HPLC analysis. HRWP, LBWP, LRWP and NTWP (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) were orally administrated to mice once daily for 15 days, respectively. Anti-fatigue activity was assessed using the forced swim test (FST), and serum biochemical parameters were determined by an autoanalyzer and commercially available kits; the body and organs were also weighted.

RESULT

LBWP, LRWP and NTWP were mainly composed of glucans and some RG-I pectins, and HRWP was mainly composed of HG-type pectin and some glucans. All the four polysaccharides decreased immobility in the FST, and the effects of LBWP and NTWP were demonstrated in lower doses compared with HRWP and LRWP. There was no significant difference in liver and heart indices between non-treated and polysaccharide-treated mice, but the spleen indices were increased in LBWP and NTWP (200mg/kg) group. Moreover, the FST-induced reduction in glucose (Glc), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and increase in creatine phosphokinase (CK), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), triglyceride (TG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, all indicators of fatigue, were inhibited by HRWP, LBWP, LRWP and NTWP to a certain extent while the effects of LBWP and NTWP were much better than that of HRWP and LRWP at the same dosage.

CONCLUSION

Water-soluble polysaccharides HRWP, LBWP, LRWP and NTWP, from the fruits of four Tibetan plateau indigenous berry plants, significantly exhibited anti-fatigue activities for the first time, through triglyceride (TG) (or fat) mobilization during exercise and protecting corpuscular membrane by prevention of lipid oxidation via modifying several enzyme activities. Moreover, it is demonstrated that LBWP and NTWP are more potent than HRWP and LRWP, which were proposed to be applied in functional foods for anti-fatigue and antioxidant potential.

Management of oxidative stress by microalgae

The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current research on oxidative stress in eukaryotic microalgae and the antioxidant compounds microalgae utilize to control oxidative stress. With the potential to exploit microalgae for the large-scale production of antioxidants, interest in how microalgae manage oxidative stress is growing. Microalgae can experience increased levels of oxidative stress and toxicity as a result of environmental conditions, metals, and chemicals. The defence mechanisms for microalgae include antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidases, and glutathione reductase, as well as non-enzymatic antioxidant molecules such as phytochelatins, pigments, polysaccharides, and polyphenols. Discussed herein are the 3 areas the literature has focused on, including how conditions stress microalgae and how microalgae respond to oxidative stress by managing reactive oxygen species. The third area is how beneficial microalgae antioxidants are when administered to cancerous mammalian cells or to rodents experiencing oxidative stress.