The use of herbal medicinal products and supplements has increased during last decades. At present, some herbs are used to enhance muscle strength and body mass. Emergent evidence suggests that the health benefits from plants are attributed to their bioactive compounds such as Polyphenols, Terpenoids, and Alkaloids which have several physiological effects on the human body. At times, manufacturers launch numerous products with banned ingredient inside with inappropriate amounts or fake supplement inducing harmful side effect. Unfortunately up to date, there is no guarantee that herbal supplements are safe for anyone to use and it has not helped to clear the confusion surrounding the herbal use in sport field especially. Hence, the purpose of this review is to provide guidance on the efficacy and side effect of most used plants in sport. We have identified plants according to the following categories: Ginseng, alkaloids, and other purported herbal ergogenics such as Tribulus Terrestris, Cordyceps Sinensis. We found that most herbal supplement effects are likely due to activation of the central nervous system via stimulation of catecholamines. Ginseng was used as an endurance performance enhancer, while alkaloids supplementation resulted in improvements in sprint and cycling intense exercises. Despite it is prohibited, small amount of ephedrine was usually used in combination with caffeine to enhance muscle strength in trained individuals. Some other alkaloids such as green tea extracts have been used to improve body mass and composition in athletes. Other herb (i.e. Rhodiola, Astragalus) help relieve muscle and joint pain, but results about their effects on exercise performance are missing.

Maha Sellami

Olfa Slimeni

Andrzej Pokrywka

Goran Kuvačić

Lawrence D Hayes

Mirjana Milic

Johnny Padulo

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

国际运动营养学会杂志 (JISSN) 专注于运动营养和补充策略对身体成分、身体表现和新陈代谢的急性和慢性影响。 JISSN 面向研究人员和运动爱好者，专注于提供有关健康、疾病、康复、训练和表现的运动和营养知识。该杂志提供了一个平台，读者可以在该平台上确定可以增强运动和/或训练适应性的营养策略，从而改善健康和表现。

The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN) focuses on the acute and chronic effects of sports nutrition and supplementation strategies on body composition, physical performance, and metabolism. This journal is aimed at researchers and sports enthusiasts, providing knowledge on sports and nutrition related to health, disease, rehabilitation, training, and performance. JISSN offers a platform for readers to identify nutritional strategies that can enhance exercise and/or training adaptations, thereby improving health and performance.

《Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition》（JISSN）专注于运动营养和补充策略对身体成分、身体表现及新陈代谢的急性和慢性影响。该期刊面向研究人员和运动爱好者，致力于提供关于健康、疾病、康复、训练和表现的运动与营养知识。JISSN为读者提供了一个平台，使他们能够识别出能够增强运动和/或训练适应性的营养策略，从而改善健康和表现。

J Int Soc Sports Nutr

Herbal medicine for sports: a review

Ginseng was used as an endurance performance enhancer, while alkaloids supplementation resulted in improvements in sprint and cycling intense exercises, and small amount of ephedrine was usually used in combination with caffeine to enhance muscle strength in trained individuals.

Category	Quartile
医学	2
医学, 营养学	2
医学, 运动科学	2

Herbal medicine for sports: a review

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
SPORT SCIENCES	1