Effect of AmLexin ( Acacia catechu & Morus alba ) on Redox Balance and Subjective Pain in Healthy Runners

Intense exercise is known to increase both oxidative stress and post‐exercise pain. Muscle soreness and soft tissue pain is a frequent complaint among recreational exercisers and a significant obstacle to continued participation in regular physical activity. Objective Our study examined the effects of an herbal dietary supplement (AmLexin; combination of Acacia catechu heartwood extract and Morus alba root bark extract) versus a look‐alike placebo on redox balance (plasma oxidative stress and oxidative capacity) and subjective pain levels following intense exercise. Subjects & Methods Twenty‐four (N=24) healthy men and women were recruited to participate in a progressive 8‐week running program followed by a 13.1‐mile timed run (half‐marathon). Subjects were randomly divided in double‐blind fashion to receive either the supplement at 200 mg b.i.d. (N=12) or placebo (N=12) for 9 weeks (8 weeks pre‐race during training and 1‐week post‐race). We measured range of motion (ROM) and pain/stiffness (WOMAC & VAS) weekly during 8‐weeks of training and daily for 6‐days post‐race, and plasma redox status on days 1 and 6 post‐race. Results Due to large variations in ROM between and within subjects, there were no significant differences in ROM between supplementation groups. However, multiple measures of pain and stiffness were significantly lower for days 1–3 post‐race in the AmLexin group compared to the Placebo group, including WOMAC scores for overall pain at day 1 and 3 post run and a clear trend of less stiffness and better activities of daily living in the AmLexin group. The AmLexin group also showed statistically significant less pain/stiffness than Placebo based on VAS scores for multiple body parts (quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, and knees) at several time points after the race. Redox balance assessment indicated the AmLexin group to show a strong trend toward improved status at day 1, that reached statistical significance for lower oxidative stress and higher oxidative capacity at day 6 post‐race compared to the Placebo group. Conclusion AmLexin has previously been reported to protect joint cartilage from damage, reducing the amount of glycosaminoglycan released by articular cartilage (1 &2), and to be an effective quencher of super oxide anion, a free radical generated by tissue wear and tear (3). These clinical results further demonstrate AmLexin's effectiveness to reduce oxidative stress, improve oxidative capacity, and prevent the development of post‐exercise subjective pain and stiffness in a population of healthy non‐arthritic adults. Therefore, AmLexin may be viewed as an effective dietary supplement to facilitate healthy pain‐free participation in regular physical activity. Support or Funding Information Funding provided by Unigen This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .