JP2005097273A - Athletic ability-enhancing composition - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a composition excellent in protective effect on a circulatory system such as blood vessel and athletic ability-enhancing effect such as improvement of muscle force. <P>SOLUTION: This composition comprises proanthocyanidin and preferably further at least one kind of substance selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins and vitamins. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a composition for improving athletic performance.

  At present, there are many attempts among athletes to increase the physical ability of the body not only by improving the muscular strength and exercise skills by simply training, but also by providing nutrition such as diet or supplements. Among them, attempts have been made to increase resistance to fatigue by ingesting components related to muscle strength and metabolism such as vitamins or amino acids (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  However, in recent years, training in the state of excessive intake of amino acids and vitamins or in a disordered diet has placed a burden on the circulatory system, resulting in problems such as sudden death of athletes. ing. Furthermore, in the modern society where transportation has developed, the lack of exercise in normal people is a problem, and the decline in basal metabolism and lifestyle-related diseases due to the decline in exercise ability are also problems.

In order to avoid such diseases associated with the circulatory system that are common in athletes and the decline in the exercise ability of the general public and the vicious circle associated therewith, it is necessary to improve the exercise capacity while protecting the circulatory system.
JP 2002-65212 A JP 2001-69949 A JP-A-5-336924

  Therefore, there is a demand for foods and pharmaceuticals that can improve exercise capacity while protecting the circulatory system and further improve basal metabolism.

  The composition for improving athletic performance of the present invention is characterized by containing proanthocyanidins.

  The composition for improving athletic performance of the present invention contains proanthocyanidins.

  In a preferred embodiment, the composition further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins.

  By ingesting the above-mentioned composition for improving athletic ability containing proanthocyanidins, excellent athletic ability improving effects such as an excellent protective effect on the circulatory system such as blood vessels and an improvement in muscle strength can be obtained. The composition preferably further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins. The composition of the present invention can be used for foods, pharmaceuticals, quasi drugs and the like.

  Hereinafter, the athletic ability improving composition of the present invention will be described. The configurations described below are not intended to limit the present invention, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

  The composition for improving athletic performance of the present invention contains proanthocyanidins, and preferably further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins. This skin improvement composition may contain other components as required. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

(Proanthocyanidins)
In the present specification, proanthocyanidins refer to a group of compounds consisting of a condensation polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2 or more having flavan-3-ol and / or flavan-3,4-diol as a structural unit. Proanthocyanidins are known to have various activities such as antioxidant action.

  As the proanthocyanidins used in the present invention, those containing many condensation polymers having a low degree of polymerization are suitable. The condensation polymer having a low polymerization degree is preferably a condensation polymer having a polymerization degree of 2 to 30 (2 to 30 mer), more preferably a condensation polymer having a polymerization degree of 2 to 10 (2 to 10 mer). Further, a condensation polymer (2 to 4 mer) having a polymerization degree of 2 to 4 is more preferable. This polycondensation polymer having a degree of polymerization of 2 to 4 is referred to as oligomeric proanthocyanidin (hereinafter referred to as OPC). Proanthocyanidins, a type of polyphenols, are powerful antioxidants produced by plants and are concentrated in plant leaves, bark, fruit peels or seed parts. Proanthocyanidins, especially OPCs, are specifically the bark of plants such as pine, cocoons, and wild peaches; grapes, blueberries, strawberries, avocados, black acacias, berries or seeds of barley; barley; wheat; soybeans; black soybeans; It is contained in red beans; tochi nut shells; peanut skins; ginkgo leaves. It is also known that cola nuts in West Africa, Latania roots in Peru, and Japanese green tea contain OPC. OPC is a substance that cannot be produced in the human body.

  In particular, when an extract containing proanthocyanidins having a high OPC content or proanthocyanidins having a high OPC content was used, proanthocyanidins having a low OPC content (proanthocyanidins containing a high proportion of proanthocyanidins having a high degree of polymerization) were used. In contrast to the case, an excellent circulatory organ protection effect and an exercising ability improvement effect such as an improvement in muscular strength can be obtained. Furthermore, an improvement in muscle strength is thought to lead to an improvement in basal metabolism.

  OPC is an antioxidant, so in addition to the above-mentioned effects of improving exercise capacity, it also reduces the risk of adult diseases such as cancer, heart disease and cerebral thrombosis, and allergies such as arthritis, atopic dermatitis and hay fever. Has an effect of improving the constitution. In addition, it suppresses bacterial growth in the oral cavity and reduces plaque (dental glands); restores the elasticity of blood vessels; prevents damage to lipoproteins in the blood by active oxygen It also has the effect of preventing lipoproteins from aggregating on the inner wall of blood vessels and adhering cholesterol; the effect of regenerating vitamin E decomposed by active oxygen; and the effect of enhancing vitamin E.

  As the proanthocyanidins used in the composition of the present invention, materials such as the bark of the above-mentioned plants, fruit or seed pulverized products, or extracts thereof can be used. Among these, it is preferable to use the above extract, and it is particularly preferable to use an extract derived from pine bark. An extract derived from pine bark exhibits a particularly high physiological activity among extracts derived from plants containing the above-mentioned proanthocyanidins. This is thought to be because, among the plants containing proanthocyanidins, pine bark contains abundant OPCs or contains active ingredients in addition to proanthocyanidins. Therefore, pine bark is preferably used as a raw material for proanthocyanidins. The extract is preferably one from which impurities are removed.

  Hereinafter, a method for preparing an extract containing proanthocyanidins as a main component will be described with reference to an example in which pine bark rich in OPC is used as a raw material plant.

  Pine bark extracts include pinus martima, larch, black pine, red pine, Japanese pine, pine pine, Korean pine, red pine, rhubarb pine, pine pine, pine pine, pine of the Quebec region of Canada An extract of the bark of a plant belonging to is preferably used. Among them, a bark extract of French coastal pine (Pinus Martima) is preferable.

  French coastal pine is a marine pine that grows on the Atlantic coast of southern France. This French coastal pine bark contains proanthocyanidins, organic acids, and other physiologically active ingredients, and it is known that proanthocyanidins, which are the main ingredients, have a strong antioxidant action to remove active oxygen. Yes.

  The pine bark extract is obtained by extracting the pine bark with water or an organic solvent. When using water, it is preferable to use warm water or hot water. In order to improve the extraction efficiency, it is preferable to add a salt such as sodium chloride to these waters. As an organic solvent used for extraction, an organic solvent that is acceptable for the production of food or drugs is used. For example, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, acetone, hexane, cyclohexane , Propylene glycol, hydrous ethanol, hydrous propylene glycol, methyl ethyl ketone, glycerin, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, dichloromethane, edible oil, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, and 1,1,2-trichloroethene Is mentioned. These water and organic solvent may be used alone or in combination. In particular, water, hot water, ethanol, water-containing ethanol, and water-containing propylene glycol are preferable, and water, hot water, ethanol, and water-containing ethanol are more preferable from the viewpoint of safety when used in foods and pharmaceuticals.

  The method for extracting proanthocyanidins from pine bark is not particularly limited. For example, by adding 1 to 50 parts by mass of hot water at 50 to 120 ° C., preferably 70 to 100 ° C., to extract 1 part by mass of the dried pine bark, the bioactivity is high and the water solubility High pine bark extract can be obtained. A warm extraction method, a supercritical fluid extraction method, or the like may be used.

  Moreover, you may perform supercritical fluid extraction by the entrainer addition method. In this method, 2 to 20 W of ethanol, propanol, n-hexane, acetone, toluene, other aliphatic lower alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, or ketones are added to the supercritical fluid. / V% is added, and supercritical fluid extraction is performed with the obtained extraction fluid, thereby dramatically increasing the solubility of the target extract such as OPC and catechins (described later) in the extraction solvent, or separation. This is a method for enhancing the selectivity of pine bark, and a method for efficiently obtaining a pine bark extract.

  Since the supercritical fluid extraction method can be operated at a relatively low temperature, it can be applied to substances that are altered or decomposed at high temperatures; the advantage that the extraction fluid does not remain; and the recycling of the solvent is possible. There is an advantage that the process can be omitted and the process becomes simple.

  Extraction from pine bark may be performed by a liquid carbon dioxide batch method, a liquid carbon dioxide reflux method, a supercritical carbon dioxide reflux method, or the like, in addition to the above method.

  For extraction from pine bark, a plurality of extraction methods may be combined. By combining a plurality of extraction methods, it becomes possible to obtain pine bark extracts having various compositions.

  The pine bark extract obtained by the above extraction may be purified for the purpose of increasing the content of proanthocyanidins. For the purification, an organic solvent such as ethyl acetate is usually used, but from the viewpoint of safety as a food or a pharmaceutical, a method that does not use an organic solvent, such as ultrafiltration, Diaion HP-20, Sephadex -It is preferable to purify by a column method or a batch method using an adsorbent carrier such as LH20 and chitin.

  In the present invention, the pine bark extract containing proanthocyanidins as a main component is specifically prepared by the following method, but this is illustrative and is not limited to this method.

  1 kg of French maritime pine bark is placed in 3 L of a saturated solution of sodium chloride and extracted at 100 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain an extract (extraction process). Thereafter, the extract is filtered, and the resulting insoluble matter is washed with 500 mL of a saturated solution of sodium chloride to obtain a washing solution (washing step). The extract and washing solution are combined to obtain a crude extract of pine bark.

  Next, 250 mL of ethyl acetate is added to the crude extract and the phases are separated to recover the ethyl acetate layer 5 times. The collected ethyl acetate solutions are combined and added directly to 200 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate for dehydration. Thereafter, the ethyl acetate solution is filtered, and the filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure until the original volume is reduced to 1/5. The concentrated ethyl acetate solution is poured into 2 L of chloroform, and the resulting precipitate is collected by filtration. Thereafter, the precipitate is dissolved in 100 mL of ethyl acetate, and then added to 1 L of chloroform again for precipitation to perform a washing step of repeating twice. By this method, for example, about 5 g of pine bark extract containing 20% by mass or more of OPC and 5% by mass or more of catechins is obtained.

  The extract derived from the raw material plant such as the pine bark preferably contains 40% by mass or more of proanthocyanidins. Furthermore, it is preferable to contain 15 mass% or more of OPC in the extract derived from the raw material plant, more preferably 20 mass% or more, and further preferably 30 mass% or more. As described above, a pine bark extract is preferably used as a raw material containing a high proportion of proanthocyanidins.

  The plant extract such as the pine bark extract preferably contains catechins together with proanthocyanidins, particularly OPC. Catechin is a general term for polyhydroxyflavan-3-ol. As catechins, (+)-catechin (referred to as catechin in a narrow sense), (−)-epicatechin, (+)-gallocatechin, (−)-epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, afzelechin, etc. It has been known. In addition to the above-mentioned (+)-catechin, gallocatechin, afuzerekin, 3-galloyl derivative of (+)-catechin, and 3-galloyl derivative of gallocatechin are isolated from the extract derived from the raw material plant such as pine bark. Has been. Catechins are poorly water-soluble by themselves and have low physiological activity. However, catechins have the property of being activated at the same time as water solubility increases in the presence of OPC, and act effectively when ingested with OPC.

  Catechin is contained in the raw material plant extract in an amount of 5% by mass or more, preferably 10% by mass or more. More preferably, the extract contains 20% by mass or more of OPC and 5% by mass or more of catechins. For example, when the catechin content of the extract is less than 5% by mass, catechins may be added to adjust the final content to 5% by mass or more. It is most preferable to use a pine bark extract containing 20% by mass or more of OPC and 5% by mass or more of catechins.

(Amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins)
The composition for improving athletic performance of the present invention contains at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins. These may be chemically synthesized products or extracts derived from animals and plants. Furthermore, food materials such as animals and plants containing the above components may be used. These components, in combination with proanthocyanidins, can further enhance the cardiovascular protective effect and athletic performance improving effect of proanthocyanidins.

  The type of amino acid is not particularly limited, but arginine involved in muscle tissue metabolism and glutamic acid accounting for 50 to 60% in the amino acid composition of skeletal muscle are preferable. Further, branched amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) related to basal metabolism are also preferable in that they promote energy metabolism and contribute to exercise ability. As the protein, for example, proteins containing wheat amino acids (particularly arginine, glutamic acid, and branched amino acids) at a high ratio (wheat germ, soybean protein, collagen, whey protein, etc.) are suitable. The peptide is preferably a hydrolyzate of the above protein. The amino acids, peptides, and proteins described above are essential nutritional components for improving muscle strength, and these components occur, for example, when muscle tissue that has been fatigued due to training for strength enhancement is repaired, It is important to promote so-called “super recovery”. Furthermore, it is necessary for maintaining muscle strength and improving basal metabolism in normal life.

Vitamins are essential components in metabolism in the living body, and can be contained particularly for the purpose of improving exercise capacity. Ascorbic acid and derivatives thereof; and vitamin B groups such as vitamin B ₁ , vitamin B ₂ , and vitamin B ₆ are preferably used.

  Ascorbic acid and derivatives thereof are important components for the synthesis of collagen mainly constituting blood vessels and connective tissues. Ascorbic acid is known to increase the absorption rate of ascorbic acid and the sustainability of physiological activity when ingested together with the OPC, and can provide an excellent circulatory system, particularly blood vessel protection effect. Ascorbic acid and derivatives thereof are known to have an action of reducing stress (particularly oxidative stress), an antithrombotic action, and an action of enhancing immunity.

Among the vitamin B group, vitamin B ₁ represents a coenzyme is involved primarily in carbohydrate metabolism, and lack of vitamin B ₁ represents are known to cause damage to the heart. The vitamin B ₁ represents, it is possible to enhance the effect of exercise capacity improvement, and cardiovascular protection proanthocyanidins have synergistically. Vitamin B ₂ can enhance the effect of improving exercise capacity mainly by promoting lipid metabolism. Furthermore, since vitamin B ₂ has an effect of suppressing lipid peroxide, it can prevent oxidation of lipids in tissues due to active oxygen or the like generated during exercise, and can also prevent damage to blood vessels. Vitamin B ₆ is primarily involved in the metabolism of amino acids, it is possible to obtain a muscle strengthening effect can be enhanced athletic performance improvement.

(Other ingredients)
The composition of the present invention contains the above-mentioned proanthocyanidins, and may contain various components as necessary. For example, components (excipients, extenders, binders, thickeners, emulsifiers, colorants, fragrances, nutritional ingredients, food additives, etc.) that can be added as normal foods and pharmaceuticals can be mentioned.

  Nutritional components include, for example, royal jelly; minerals such as eggshell calcium; sulfur-containing compounds contained in taurine, garlic, etc .; animal fats such as milk fat, lard, beef tallow, fish oil; vegetable oils such as soybean oil and rapeseed oil Nutritional ingredients are listed. Examples of food additives include matcha powder, lemon powder, honey, reduced maltose, lactose, sugar solution, and seasonings.

(Composition for improving athletic performance)
The composition for improving athletic performance of the present invention contains the above-mentioned proanthocyanidins, preferably contains at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins. Contains various additives used.

  There is no restriction | limiting in particular in content of proanthocyanidin in the composition of this invention. Although it varies depending on the form of the composition, preferably, proanthocyanidins may be contained in the composition in a proportion of 0.001% by mass to 30% by mass, more preferably 0.001% by mass to 10% by mass. Furthermore, it is preferable that the intake amount per day for an adult is preferably 1 to 1000 mg, more preferably 2 to 500 mg as proanthocyanidins.

  When the composition of the present invention contains at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins, the content is not particularly limited. Preferably, the mass ratio of proanthocyanidins to at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins is 1: 0.01 to 1: 2000, more preferably 1: 0.05 to 1. : 1000, more preferably 1: 0.5-1: 300. A composition containing proanthocyanidins and each of the above components in the above mass ratio can particularly enhance the effects of proanthocyanidins synergistically by the effects of the above respective components.

  The composition of the present invention can be prepared in various forms according to the purpose, for example, as a food, a pharmaceutical product, a quasi-drug, and the like. For example, capsules such as hard capsules and soft capsules, tablets, pills, powders (powder), granules, tea bags, bowl-like viscous liquids, liquids, pastes and the like are used in a form commonly used by those skilled in the art. It is preferably prepared as a sports drink containing a pine bark extract rich in proanthocyanidins. The above composition may be taken as it is, depending on the shape or preference, or may be taken by dissolving in water, hot water, milk or the like, or may be taken after leaching the ingredients.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to examples, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples.

(Example 1: Preparation of sample solution)
Table 1 shows pine bark extract (trade name: Flavangenol, Toyo Shinyaku Co., Ltd.) containing 40% by mass of proanthocyanidins (20% by mass of OPC in the whole extract) and 5% by mass of catechins. Was dissolved in water at a ratio (mass%) to prepare a sample solution (referred to as sample solution 1). In Table 1, A component refers to a component containing proanthocyanidins, and B component refers to any component of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins.

(Examples 2 to 7: Preparation of sample solution)
Pine bark extract, apple polyphenol (containing 40% by mass of proanthocyanidins: Nikka whiskey), ascorbic acid, vitamin B ₁ , vitamin B ₂ , vitamin B ₆ , arginine, glutamic acid (above Wako Pure Chemical), and soy protein One or more of the materials consisting of Nihon Seisaku Co., Ltd. were dissolved in water at the ratios (mass%) shown in Table 1 to prepare sample solutions (respectively referred to as sample solutions 2 to 7).

(Comparative Example 1)
Only the B component described in Table 1 was dissolved in water at the ratio (mass%) described in Table 1 to prepare a sample solution containing no proanthocyanidins (A component) (referred to as Sample Solution 8).

(Example 8: Effect of improving exercise ability 1)
Three-week-old SD male rats (Kudo Co., Ltd.) were divided into 8 groups of 5 per group, and a basic feed (MF feed: Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.) was given to each group and acclimatized for 7 days. The sample solution 1 was forcibly orally administered to a group of rats at a rate of 1 mL per day using a sonde. This administration was performed for 28 days. During the administration period, basic feed and water were ad libitum.

  A test was conducted to measure exercise capacity 1 hour after administration on the 28th day. The exercise ability test was conducted by a swimming test according to the method of Tanaka et al. (Physical Education Research, 33 (2), 155, 1988). Specifically, from the 21st day after the start of administration, a swimming exercise for 10 minutes per day was performed every day, and the rats were habituated to water. Then, on the 28th day from the start of the test, a weight corresponding to 4% by mass of the body weight is attached to the tail of the rat to perform swimming exercise. Motor ability was determined by measuring time (swimming time). Sample solutions 2 to 8 were also orally administered to the remaining 7 groups of rats in the same manner to determine exercise ability. The results are shown in FIG.

  From the results of FIG. 1, the group administered with the sample liquid (sample liquids 1 to 7) containing the proanthocyanidins of the example was compared with the group ingesting the sample liquid (sample liquid 8) not containing the proanthocyanidins of the comparative example. And it turns out that swimming time is long. This shows that the composition containing proanthocyanidins has an endurance improving effect. Thus, it shows that the composition of this invention has the outstanding athletic ability improvement effect. In particular, among the examples, sample liquids (sample liquids 3 to 7) containing proanthocyanidins and at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins have higher exercise ability. It turns out that the improvement effect is shown. Furthermore, from the comparison between Example 1 (Sample Solution 1) and Example 2 (Sample Solution 2), it can be seen that, as proanthocyanidins, the pine bark extract exhibits a higher effect of improving exercise capacity than apple polyphenol. .

(Example 9: Effect of improving exercise ability 2)
0.1% by mass of the pine bark extract used in Example 1, 5% by mass of valine (Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), 5% by mass of leucine (Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), and isoleucine (Wako Pure) Yaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) containing an aqueous solution containing 5% by mass (sample 9), an aqueous solution containing 0.1% by mass of pine bark extract (sample 10), and water (sample 11) Was prepared. In the same manner as in Example 8, the exercise ability when each sample solution was administered to rats was determined. The results are shown in FIG.

  From the results of FIG. 2, it can be seen that the group administered with the sample liquid containing proanthocyanidins (sample liquids 9 and 10) has a longer swimming time than the group ingested the water of the comparative example (sample liquid 11). . In particular, the group administered with proanthocyanidin (pine bark extract) and sample solution 9 containing branched amino acids valine, leucine, and isoleucine showed a higher effect of improving exercise capacity.

(Example 10: Preparation of feed)
Feed 1 was prepared by mixing with basic feed (MF powder: Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.) so that the pine bark extract was 0.5% by mass. The composition is shown in Table 2.

(Example 11: Preparation of feed)
A feed 2 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 10, except that apple polyphenol was used instead of the pine bark extract of Example 10. The composition is shown in Table 2.

(Example 12: Preparation of feed)
Feed 3 was prepared in the same manner as Example 10 except that the pine bark extract of Example 10 was further mixed with the basic feed so that ascorbic acid was 0.5% by mass. The composition is shown in Table 2.

(Example 13: Examination of vascular protective effect and muscle strength enhancing effect)
A 4-week-old male SHR rat (Nippon Charles River Co., Ltd.) was fed with a basic feed (MF powder: Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.) and water and acclimated for 1 week. These rats were divided into groups of 5 so that the average value of the body weight of each group was almost uniform. The rats of each group were allowed to freely take the above feeds 1 to 3 for 28 days. Furthermore, a group that freely ingested the basic feed was provided as a control group. In addition, an aqueous solution containing 1% by mass of NaCl was ingested freely by all groups from the start date of ingestion.

  On the 28th day from the start of ingestion, the body weight of each group of rats was measured. Thereafter, the thoracic aorta was removed and the elastic modulus of the aorta was measured. For the measurement, a tensile tester (EZ-test, Shimadzu Corporation) was used to pull the thoracic aorta at a crosshead speed of 2 mm / min until a stress-mutation curve was obtained. The slope was determined from this curve by the least square method, and this was used as the elastic modulus. The results are shown in FIG. In addition, it shows that the elasticity of a blood vessel is so high that the value of an elasticity modulus is low.

  Furthermore, the soleus muscle of the hind limb of each group of rats was removed, the mass thereof was measured, the ratio to the body weight (soleus muscle mass / body weight) was calculated, and the muscle strength enhancing effect was evaluated. The results are shown in FIG.

  From the result of FIG. 3, the group which ingested the feed 1-3 containing proanthocyanidins had a low elasticity modulus compared with the control group, and showed high vascular flexibility. From this, it can be seen that a blood vessel protecting effect is obtained. In particular, it can be seen that the group ingesting the feed 3 containing proanthocyanidins and ascorbic acid has a higher effect.

  From the result of FIG. 4, since the group which ingested the feed 1-3 containing proanthocyanidins increased muscle mass, it shows that these feeds have a muscular strength enhancing effect. Similar to the results of FIG. 3, it can be seen that the group that ingested the feed 3 containing proanthocyanidins and ascorbic acid has a higher effect.

  From the results of FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 described above, the composition containing proanthocyanidins has an effect of improving exercise ability such as an endurance improving action and a muscular strength enhancing action, and has an effect of protecting the circulatory system. I understand. Moreover, in Example 13 above, when the surface temperature of the rat before dissection was measured using thermography, an increase in the surface temperature was observed compared to before administration of the feed, so that proanthocyanidins were ingested. It is thought that the increase in muscle strength due to increases in basal metabolism.

(Example 14: Manufacture of tablets)
The following ingredients were mixed to prepare 200 mg tablets per tablet:
<Ingredients of tablet> Mass (per 200 mg)
Pine bark extract 20mg
Collagen 50mg
Soy protein 50mg
Vitamin mix ^{* 1} 25mg
Crystalline cellulose 10mg
Sucrose ester 5mg
Silicon dioxide 2mg
Dolomite ^{* 2} 38mg
* 1: Contains vitamin B group (Nippon Fragrance Chemicals)
* 2: Contains calcium and magnesium compounds (Sankyo Foods)

(Example 15: Production of sports drink)
A sports drink was prepared by blending the following ingredients:
<Sports drink ingredient> Mass (per 1L)
Fructose dextrose liquid sugar 20g
Lemon juice 10g
Citric acid 2g
L-ascorbic acid 2g
Pine bark extract 25mg
Fragrance 150mg
Vitamin B ₁ 0.8mg
Vitamin B ₂ 1.2mg
Vitamin B ₆ 1.8mg
Glutamic acid 200mg
Arginine 20mg
Valine 200mg
Leucine 100mg
Isoleucine 100mg
Pure water remaining

  Since the composition for improving athletic ability of the present invention contains proanthocyanidins, it exhibits an excellent protective effect on the circulatory system such as blood vessels, and an excellent athletic ability improving effect such as an improvement in muscle strength. Furthermore, since most of the body's energy metabolism is performed by muscles, it is considered that an improvement effect of basal metabolism can be obtained. The composition of the present invention can be used for foods, pharmaceuticals, quasi drugs and the like.

It is a graph which shows the swimming time of a rat at the time of ingesting the sample liquid which consists of a composition of this invention, and another sample liquid, respectively. It is a graph which shows the swimming time of a rat at the time of ingesting the sample liquid which consists of a composition of this invention, and another sample liquid, respectively. It is a graph which shows the elasticity modulus of the aorta of a rat at the time of ingesting the feed and basic feed which each consist of a composition of this invention. It is a graph which shows the soleus muscle mass / body weight of a rat at the time of ingesting the feed which consists of a composition of this invention, and a basic feed, respectively.

Claims (2)

  A composition for improving athletic ability, comprising proanthocyanidins.   The composition according to claim 1, further comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, proteins, and vitamins.

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