Effects of Maca Supplementation on Badminton-specific Exercise Performance: Indicators of Exercise-Induced Fatigue and Oxidative Stress
Effects of Maca Supplementation on Badminton-specific Exercise Performance: Indicators of Exercise-Induced Fatigue and Oxidative Stress
This study aims to investigate whether a 14-day short-term supplementation of Maca can effectively mitigate oxidative stress and fatigue induced by badminton competition.
Maca possesses antioxidant and anti-fatigue properties, which may have potential positive effects on athletic performance. This study integrates Maca's physiological characteristics with the sport-specific demands of badminton to examine its impact on athletic performance. The experiment is designed as a single-blind, crossover trial involving 12 participants, each undergoing two trials: a placebo trial and a Maca supplementation trial, with a supplementation period of 14 days for both conditions.
On the test day, participants will be provided with a meal adjusted according to their body weight and will orally consume either Maca or a placebo capsule. After a one-hour rest period, they will perform a simulated badminton match. At the end of each game, participants will complete a 30-second cycling anaerobic power test, followed by a 1-minute and 30-second rest before starting the next game.
Finally, participants will undergo an aerobic capacity assessment through a badminton-specific progressive endurance test, which will continue until exhaustion. Blood samples will be collected both before and after the simulated badminton match for analysis of oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as fatigue markers, such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatine kinase (CK). Additionally, the total duration of the badminton-specific progressive endurance test will be recorded.
Furthermore, to assess participants' psychological states, the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire will be administered after both the simulated badminton match and the badminton-specific progressive endurance test.
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