Abstract
Beef extract (BE) is a nutritional supplement obtained by cooking beef meat. Compared with traditional chicken essence or clam extract, BE is cheaper to produce and may be used for wound healing, as a chemotherapy supplement, or to prevent fatigue. In this study, we evaluated the potential beneficial effects of BE on exercise performance and the related role of the gut microbiota. Pathogen-free male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups to receive vehicle or BE (0, 12.3, or 24.6 mL/kg) by oral gavage for 28 days. Exercise performance was evaluated using forelimb grip strength, swimming time to exhaustion, and physiological levels of fatigue-related biomarkers (serum lactate, blood urea nitrogen, and glucose levels) after physical challenges. BE supplementation elevated endurance and grip strength in a dose-dependent manner; significantly decreased lactate and blood urea nitrogen levels after physical challenge; and significantly increased muscle glycogen content. The germ-free mice supplemented with BE or an equal-calorie portion of albumin did not show significant differences from the other groups in exercise performance and levels of related biomarkers. Therefore, BE supplementation improved endurance and reduced fatigue, which might be related to BE composition, but had no correlation with the gut microbiota.
Highlights
Beef extract (BE) is a liquid nutritional supplement obtained by cooking beef meat
L-carnitine plays an important role in fat metabolism in that it promotes the mitochondrial uptake of long-chain fatty acids for β-oxidation coupled with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production [8]
This finding suggests that the soleus muscle could effectively utilize the ATP energy produced by β-oxidation of fatty acids, which results in reduced consumption of stored glycogen [9]
Summary
Beef extract (BE) is a liquid nutritional supplement obtained by cooking beef meat. This supplement has been used for strengthening the bones and muscles, and for increasing immunity [1,2,3]. L-carnitine plays an important role in fat metabolism in that it promotes the mitochondrial uptake of long-chain fatty acids for β-oxidation coupled with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production [8]. This finding suggests that the soleus muscle could effectively utilize the ATP energy produced by β-oxidation of fatty acids, which results in reduced consumption of stored glycogen [9]. Our study elucidated the beneficial effects of 28-day BE supplementation on exercise performance and fatigue and showed that its sub-acute effects raised no health concerns requiring attention, and that gut microbiota might not play a pivotal role in the metabolism of BE supplements
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