JP2024055799A - Composition for preventing or improving sports injuries - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention aims to provide a composition for preventing or improving sports injuries for competitive athletes and people with exercise habits who suffer from age-related decline in athletic performance, fatigue, injuries, etc.
[Solution] The composition for preventing or improving sports injuries according to the present invention contains glucosamines, ubiquinone, collagens, HMB or a salt thereof, and ergothioneine. By taking the composition for preventing or improving sports injuries according to the present invention, it is expected that sports injuries can be prevented or improved.
[Selection diagram] None

Description

The present invention relates to a composition for preventing or improving sports injuries, which contains glucosamines, ubiquinone, collagens, HMB or a salt thereof, and ergothioneine.

Athletes and people who exercise regularly overwork their bodies compared to people who do not have exercise habits, and as a result, they often suffer from chronic pain in joints and ligaments, muscle fatigue, pulled muscles, and other disorders, as well as general fatigue. The basic way to recover from fatigue is to eat an appropriate diet and get enough rest, but the reality is that people are forced to retire from competition due to a decline in athletic performance that comes with age, and sports disorders such as fatigue and injuries.

Patent Document 1 discloses a composition for promoting bone and muscle strengthening that combines creatine, vitamin D, glucosamine, and hyaluronic acid as a composition for suppressing the decrease in muscle mass and bone density associated with aging. Patent Document 2 discloses a food composition that contains collagen and 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid (hereinafter referred to as "HMB") or a salt thereof to increase the absorption of collagen-derived amino acids, in order to address the problem that a decrease in collagen present in an animal's body has a negative effect on the skin, bones, and joints. Patent Document 3 discloses a fat accumulation agent that contains α-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, branched-chain amino acids, glucosamine, and hyaluronic acid to suppress fat accumulation in white fat cells.

Patent Publication No. 2008-237070 Patent Publication 2009-159983 Patent Publication 2006-151909

However, conventional food compositions are intended to strengthen bones, muscles, joints, and skin in order to reduce the risk of ordinary people without exercise habits becoming dependent on care due to impaired motor function, such as difficulty walking, and are not intended to prevent or improve sports injuries such as decline in athletic performance or fatigue and injury that accompanies aging, and do not address the concerns of competitive athletes or people with exercise habits. The object of the present invention is to provide a composition for preventing or improving sports injuries for competitive athletes and people with exercise habits who suffer from decline in athletic performance, fatigue, injury, etc. that accompanies aging.

That is, the present invention provides the following (1) to (5).
(1) A composition for preventing or improving sports injuries, comprising glucosamines, ubiquinone, collagens, HMB or a salt thereof, and ergothioneine.
(2) The composition for preventing or improving sports injuries described in (1), wherein the sports injury is at least one selected from the group consisting of joint pain, ligament pain, muscle pain, pulled muscle and general fatigue.
(3) A composition for preventing or improving sports injuries, containing glucosamine, coenzyme Q10, collagen peptide, HMB calcium and ergothioneine.
(4) The composition for preventing or improving sports injuries described in (3), wherein the sports injury is at least one selected from the group consisting of joint pain, ligament pain, muscle pain, pulled muscle and general fatigue.
(5) A food or drink comprising a composition for preventing or improving a sports injury described in any one of (1) to (4).

The composition for preventing or improving sports injuries of the present invention, which is configured as described above, can prevent or improve injuries occurring in muscles, joints, and ligaments, and ergothioneine, which has a high antioxidant effect, can compensate for the antioxidant effect that decreases with age.

The present invention relates to an agent for preventing or improving sports injuries, which contains glucosamines, ubiquinone, collagens, HMB or a salt thereof, and ergothioneine. The agent for preventing or improving sports injuries according to the present invention will be described in detail below.

Unless otherwise specified in the context, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are described below.

(Glucosamines)
In the present invention, "glucosamines" refers to glucosamine or its derivatives. In animals, glucosamines are distributed in the form of N-acetylglucosamine as components of glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, etc. in connective tissues such as cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, and hyaluronic acid is a major component of the proteoglycan complex present in large amounts in cartilage. Glucosamines are basic nutrients for forming chondrocytes and play an important role in the metabolism of cells in joints. Glucosamine is also used to treat osteoarthritis. Glucosamines include, but are not limited to, glucosamine and its salts, and N-acetylglucosamine, and glucosamine is particularly preferred. Glucosamine is a type of amino sugar in which the hydroxyl group at the 2-position of glucose is replaced with an amino group. Salts include, but are not limited to, hydrochloride, sulfate, phosphate, etc. Naturally, glucosamine is present in shells, animal bones, and bone marrow, and is also contained in polysaccharides, mucopolysaccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, etc. derived from microorganisms. For industrial purposes, glucosamine can be obtained, for example, by hydrolysis of chitin. The glucosamines in the present invention may be naturally derived or chemically synthesized.

The content of glucosamine in the composition of the present invention is preferably 25-75% by mass, 375-1,125 mg, and more preferably 30-70% by mass, 450-1,050 mg, of the daily intake of 1,500 mg for an adult. Inclusion of 1,000 mg, which is 2/3 (66.7% by mass) of the daily intake, is suitable from the standpoint of protecting joints and improving joint mobility.

(Ubiquinone)
Ubiquinone is one of the electron carriers present in large numbers in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Ubiquinone is an organic compound with a benzene ring, consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. An isoprene side chain is attached to the carbon at position 3 of the benzene ring, and compounds with 10 isoprene side chains are called coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Oxygen atoms are attached to the carbons at positions 1 and 3 of the benzene ring that constitute ubiquinone, and they are involved in the oxidation and reduction of ubiquinone. When ubiquinone undergoes one-electron reduction, it becomes an intermediate ubisemiquinone, and when it undergoes two-electron reduction, it becomes ubiquinol. Orally ingested ubiquinone is taken up by mitochondria in myocardial cells and acts directly on ischemic myocardium to improve myocardial energy metabolism in hypoxic conditions, so it is known to be used as a cardiotonic drug for mild to moderate congestive heart failure symptoms during basic treatment. In addition, reduced ubiquinone has an antioxidant effect, so it is known to contribute to reducing fatigue upon waking, improving sleep quality, and temporarily relieving stress by protecting cells from active oxygen.

In the present invention, "ubiquinone" is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include oxidized ubiquinone, ubisemiquinone, ubiquinol, and coenzyme Q10. The ubiquinone in the present invention may be naturally derived or may be derived from a chemically synthesized product. Coenzyme Q10 varies depending on the redox state, and includes oxidized coenzyme Q10, intermediate coenzyme Q10, and reduced coenzyme Q10, all of which can be suitably used. The content of ubiquinone in the composition of the present invention is preferably 25-75% by mass, 7.5-22.5 mg, and more preferably 30-70% by mass, 9-21 mg, relative to the daily intake of 30 mg for adults. It is preferable to contain 20 mg, which is 2/3 (66.7% by mass) of the daily intake, in terms of antioxidant effect.

(Collagen)
Collagen is a fibrous protein that mainly constitutes the connective tissue of vertebrates, and accounts for nearly 30% of all proteins in mammals. Orally ingested collagen is broken down and absorbed into oligopeptides and amino acids, which are used as materials for collagen synthesis. It is also said that collagen synthesis ability is improved by activating fibroblasts. Collagen is contained in meat, fish, gelatin, jelly, etc., and its safety is clear. The effects of orally ingesting collagen include improved skin elasticity, improved skin moisture, improved wrinkles, reduced joint pain, improved joint movement, suppression of arthritis, and suppression of dry nails.

In the present invention, "collagens" refers to collagen and collagen peptides. The collagens in the present invention may be naturally derived or chemically synthesized. The content of collagens in the composition of the present invention is preferably 25-75% by mass, 1,000-3,000 mg, and more preferably 30-70% by mass, 1,200-2,800 mg, relative to the daily intake of 4,000 mg for an adult. In terms of antioxidant effects, it is preferable to contain 2,700 mg, which is 2/3 (66.7% by mass), of the daily intake.

(HMB)
HMB is an abbreviation of 3-Hydroxy 3-MethylButyrate, which is a short-chain branched hydroxy fatty acid in which a hydroxy group is bonded to the β-position carbon of isovaleric acid. HMB is a metabolic intermediate of the essential amino acid leucine, and 0.2 to 0.4 g of HMB is synthesized from leucine in the human body per day. HMB salts are not particularly limited as long as they are not harmful to the human body, and include divalent salts such as calcium salts and magnesium salts. HMB is known to have a protein synthesis promoting effect and a protein decomposition inhibiting effect, and the use of calcium salts of HMB (hereinafter referred to as "HMB-Ca") is suitable for achieving these effects. HMB or its salts in the present invention may be naturally derived or chemically synthesized.

The content of HMB or a salt thereof in the composition of the present invention is preferably 25-75% by mass, 375-1,125 mg, and more preferably 30-70% by mass, 450-1,050 mg, of the daily intake of 1,500 mg for an adult. Inclusion of 1,000 mg, which is 2/3 (66.7% by mass) of the daily intake, is preferable from the standpoint of the protein synthesis promoting effect and protein degradation inhibiting effect.

(Ergothioneine)
In the present invention, "ergothioneine" refers to a compound represented by the following formula (1) and its derivatives. All stereoisomers having the structural formula of the following formula I are included. The derivatives referred to here include metal salts, hydrates, etc., but are not particularly limited as long as they have the skeleton of the following formula (1).

Ergothioneine is a natural ingredient classified as a rare amino acid derivative, and is produced by some mushrooms, aspergillus oryzae, actinomycetes, and other microorganisms. Mushrooms that contain a lot of ergothioneine include Tamogitake, Oyster Mushroom, King Oyster Mushroom, Sparassis crispa, Enokitake, and Shiitake mushrooms, with Tamogitake being particularly rich in ergothioneine. Humans cannot synthesize ergothioneine in the body, so they can ingest it by orally ingesting foods that contain it. Ergothioneine is known to have very strong antioxidant activity. It is said to have up to 30 times the ability to eliminate reactive oxygen species compared to glutathione, the most abundant antioxidant in the human body.

The ergothioneine in the present invention may be naturally derived, purified from raw materials such as mushrooms containing ergothioneine, or may be derived from a chemically synthesized product. Alternatively, ergothioneine may be contained in the composition of the present invention as unrefined finely ground raw materials such as mushrooms containing ergothioneine, dried powder, concentrated extract, etc. The content of ergothioneine in the composition of the present invention is preferably 25 to 75 mass% (1.25 to 3.75 mg), more preferably 30 to 70 mass% (1.5 to 3.5 mg), relative to the daily intake of 5 mg for adults. In terms of the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species, it is preferable to contain 3.3 mg, which is 2/3 (66.7 mass%) of the daily intake.

(Sports Injuries)
In the present invention, "sports injury" refers to an injury caused by repeated external force applied to joints, ligaments, tendons, bones, etc., due to sports and exercise. Examples of sports injuries include Ogliott's disease, which is caused by the gradual protrusion of the tibial tubercle in sports such as soccer, which involves kicking a ball, shin splints, which is overuse tibial periostitis that occurs when repeated running or jumping is performed excessively, baseball shoulder, which is caused by damage to the tendons, muscles, or bones attached to the joint capsule or shoulder joint caused by repeated pitching in baseball, and tennis elbow, which is caused by pain on the outside of the humerus or the inside of the elbow due to continued tennis, but are not limited to these, and also include joint pain, ligament pain, muscle pain, pulled muscle, and general fatigue caused by exercise. Prevention and improvement can be achieved by warming up before exercise, icing after exercise, stretching, etc., but if the injury is aggravated by overdoing it, it may not only result in a long-term break from sports, but also in a state where it is impossible to perform good sports performance, which is one of the reasons why athletes are forced to retire from competition.

(Composition)
The composition of the present invention containing glucosamines, ubiquinone, collagens, HMB or a salt thereof, and ergothioneine can exhibit a preventive effect on sports injuries or an ameliorative effect on sports injuries.

The content of each of the glucosamines, ubiquinone, collagens, HMB or a salt thereof, and ergothioneine in the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the desired effect, and can be appropriately changed depending on various factors such as the age and condition of the recipient organism. The preferred content to obtain the desired effect is 2/3 of the daily intake amount of each component, but may be appropriately set depending on the application of the composition.

The composition of the present invention may contain the above-mentioned components as active ingredients, and may contain other components than those mentioned above. Examples of other components include pharmacologically acceptable bases. One example of a pharmacologically acceptable base is a component that ensures stability during storage and distribution (e.g., a preservation stabilizer). In addition, the composition may contain one or more components selected from the components that make up the desired final product (e.g., food and beverages, nutritional supplements, pharmaceuticals, and quasi-drugs).

The composition of the present invention can be used as it is as a final product. It can also be used as an additive for food and beverages, nutritional supplements, pharmaceuticals, and quasi-drugs. This can impart various effects to food and beverages, nutritional supplements, pharmaceuticals, and quasi-drugs.

The pharmacologically acceptable base is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the object of the present invention. For example, one or more of excipients, disintegrants, binders, lubricants, coating agents, colorants, colorants, flavoring agents, fragrances, antioxidants, preservatives, flavoring agents, acidulants, sweeteners, strengthening agents, vitamins, leavening agents, thickeners, and surfactants can be selected according to the dosage form of the final product (e.g., food and beverages, nutritional supplements, medicines, and quasi-drugs), as long as they do not impair the properties required for the formulation (e.g., formulation stability).

When the composition of the present invention contains a pharmacologically acceptable base material, the amount of the active ingredient (the total amount in the case of a combination of two or more ingredients) is not particularly limited as long as it is an effective amount, but is usually in the range of 0.01 to 80% by mass.

The dosage form of the composition of the present invention can be appropriately determined depending on whether it is a food or drink, a nutritional supplement, a medicine, or a quasi-drug, and is not particularly limited. Examples of dosage forms for oral administration include liquid, syrup, tablet, capsule, powder, granule, fine granule, soft capsule, solid, semi-liquid, cream, and paste.

The composition of the present invention may be used as a food or beverage such as a health food, health drink, functional food, functional drink, nutritional supplement, nutritional supplement drink, specified health food, specified health drink, medical food, medical drink, food for the sick, drink for the sick, food for infants, drink for infants, food for nursing care, drink for nursing care, food for the elderly, drink for the elderly, etc.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

<Test Example 1>
1. Preparation of test meals Example 1
As shown in Table 1 below, the powder of Example 1 was obtained by mixing 1,000 mg of glucosamine (Protein Chemical Co., Ltd.), 40 mg of CoQ10 (Kaneka Corporation), 2,700 mg of collagen peptide (Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.), 1,000 mg of HMB-Ca (Kobayashi Fragrance Co., Ltd.), and 330 mg of ergothioneine 1% extract powder (LS Corporation).

Comparative Example 1
As shown in Table 1 below, 1,000 mg of glucosamine (Protein Chemical Co., Ltd.), 40 mg of CoQ10 (Kaneka Corporation), 2,700 mg of collagen peptide (Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.), and 1,000 mg of HMB-Ca (Kobayashi Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were mixed to obtain the powder of Comparative Example 1.

Comparative Example 2
As shown in Table 1 below, 1,000 mg of glucosamine (manufactured by Protein Chemical Co., Ltd.), 40 mg of CoQ10 (manufactured by Kaneka Corporation), and 2,700 mg of collagen peptide (manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.) were mixed to obtain the powder of Comparative Example 2.

Comparative Example 3
As shown in Table 1 below, 1,000 mg of glucosamine (manufactured by Protein Chemical Co., Ltd.) and 40 mg of CoQ10 (manufactured by Kaneka Corporation) were mixed to obtain the powder of Comparative Example 3.

Comparative Example 4
As shown in Table 1 below, Comparative Example 4 consisted of 1,000 mg of glucosamine (Protein Chemical Co., Ltd.) powder alone.

Comparative Example 5
A control group in which the test food was not administered was used as Comparative Example 5.

2. Intake of test food and questionnaire evaluation (1) Study outline The study outline is shown below.
Test period: Continuous intake of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 for 4 weeks each. Intake of test food: The total amount shown in Table 1 was taken twice a day. Subject: One male (Age 53, who exercises regularly)

(2) Materials and Methods Subjects were instructed to take the test food of Example 1 twice a day, after breakfast and after dinner, for 4 consecutive weeks. After the ingestion period, subjects were asked to fill out a 5-point scale evaluation in the questionnaire items shown in Table 2. After that, in order to accurately evaluate the test food, a washout period of 2 weeks was provided during which the test food was not taken.
Next, the test food of Comparative Example 1 was taken twice a day, after breakfast and after dinner, for four consecutive weeks. After the intake period, the subjects were asked to rate the seven questionnaire items shown in Table 2 ("instantaneous power,""endurance,""jointpain,""musclepain,""ligamentpain,""fatigue during exercise," and "fatigue the day after exercise") on a five-point scale. Here, "instantaneous power" refers to the power exerted instantly in sports, etc. "Endurance" refers to the physical strength and tenacity required to continue a certain amount of exercise for a long period of time. "Muscle pain" refers to the pain in skeletal muscles that occurs with exercise, such as sports. "Ligament pain" refers to pain in ligaments caused by intense movements in sports, falls, accidents, etc. "Fatigue during exercise" refers to the fatigue felt while exercising. "Fatigue the day after exercise" refers to the fatigue felt by combining muscle pain, muscle tension, and physical fatigue caused by exercise. After the intake period, a washout period of two weeks was set in which the test food was not taken.
In this way, four weeks of taking the test food, answering the questionnaire, and a two-week washout period were defined as one cycle, and the same cycle was repeated for Comparative Examples 2, 3, 4, and 5, for a total of 34 weeks of testing.

(3) Results and Discussion The results of the questionnaire evaluation of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 are shown in Table 3. In Comparative Example 4, where glucosamine was taken, joint pain was greatly improved compared to Comparative Example 5, which was the control group that did not take glucosamine. In Comparative Example 3, where CoQ10 was taken in addition to glucosamine, improvements in muscle pain and fatigue during exercise were observed. In Comparative Example 2, where collagen peptide was taken in addition to glucosamine and CoQ10, improvements in ligament pain were observed compared to Comparative Example 3. In Comparative Example 1, where glucosamine, CoQ10, collagen peptide, and HMB-Ca were taken, further improvements in fatigue the next day were observed compared to Comparative Example 2, with an average rating of 3.9.
Compared to Comparative Examples 1 to 5, Example 1, which further contained 1% ergothioneine extract powder, showed further improvements in all evaluation items, with an average rating of 4.9.
In conclusion, it has been shown that continuous intake of glucosamine, CoQ10, collagen peptides, and HMB-Ca can prevent or improve sports injuries and improve performance, but additional intake of ergothioneine also significantly increases the effects of preventing or improving sports injuries and improving athletic performance.

<Test Example 2>
1. Test Food Production Example 2
As shown in Table 4 below, the powder of Example 2 was obtained by mixing 1,000 mg of glucosamine (Protein Chemical Co., Ltd.), 20 mg of CoQ10 (Nisshin Pharma Co., Ltd.), 2,700 mg of collagen peptide (Nippi Co., Ltd.), 1,000 mg of HMB-Ca (Kyoji Trading Co., Ltd.), and 330 mg of ergothioneine 1% extract powder (LS Corporation).

2. Intake of test food and questionnaire evaluation (1) Study outline The study outline is shown below.
Test period: Continuous intake of Example 2 for 4 weeks. Intake of test food: The total amount shown in Table 4 was taken twice a day. Subjects: 41 men and women in their 20s to 60s (people who exercise regularly)

(2) Subjects The subjects were 41 men and women aged 20 to 64 who exercised regularly, including 36 men and 5 women. The breakdown of the subjects is shown in Table 5. In Table 5, "under 30" means 20 to 30 years old, and there were 4 men and 1 woman. The age groups were 30 to 34, with 4 men and 0 women, 35 to 39, with 5 men and 2 women, 40 to 44, with 10 men and 1 woman, 45 to 49, with 5 men and 1 woman, 50 to 54, with 5 men and 1 woman, 55 to 54, with 1 man and 0 woman, and 60 to 64, with 2 men and 0 women.

(3) Materials and Methods The subjects were made to take the test food of Example 2 twice a day, after breakfast and dinner, for four consecutive weeks. A questionnaire survey was conducted before the start of the intake of the test food and after the end of the intake period. The questionnaire survey included 11 items in total, including "instantaneous power,""endurance,""concentration,""technique/precision,""jointpain,""musclepain,""ligamentpain,""fatigue during exercise,""fatigue on the day after exercise," and "fatigue on the day after exercise," as shown in Table 6. The subjects scored each item on a five-point scale as shown in Table 6. Here, "concentration" refers to the ability to focus attention on one thing and work on something. The technique in "technique/precision" refers to the method/means for rationally solving problems in sports competitions, and precision refers to the accuracy of executing the technique. "Joint pain" refers to pain caused by joint inflammation, etc. "Fatigue on the day after exercise" refers to fatigue felt from immediately after exercise until going to bed. The meanings of the seven items, "instantaneous power,""stamina,""musclepain,""ligamentpain,""fatigue during exercise," and "fatigue the day after exercise," are the same as in Test Example 1. The higher the value on the five-point scale, the greater the effect of preventing or improving sports injuries and improving athletic performance.

(4) Results and Discussion Table 7 shows the average score (A) of the questionnaire evaluation for each survey item for all subjects before starting the intake of the test diet, the average score (B) of the questionnaire evaluation after the end of the intake period, the value obtained by subtracting (A) from (B) {(B) - (A)}, and the P value of the t-test to test for significance between (A) and (B) (P values of 0.001 or less were displayed as "P<0.001").

Regarding performance-related items, there was a statistically significant improvement before and after the test meal in terms of "explosive power" from 3.5 to 4.0, "endurance" from 3.1 to 3.8, "concentration" from 3.3 to 4.0, and "technique/precision" from 3.2 to 3.8. Regarding pain-related items, there was a statistically significant improvement before and after the test meal in terms of "joint pain" from 2.8 to 3.5, "muscle pain" from 3.4 to 4.0, and "ligament pain" from 3.1 to 4.1. Regarding fatigue-related items, there was a statistically significant improvement before and after the test meal in terms of "fatigue during exercise" from 2.8 to 3.5, "fatigue on the day after exercise" from 2.7 to 3.4, and "fatigue the day after exercise" from 2.8 to 3.7. In addition, the average score of all 11 items improved by 0.7, from 3.1 before the test meal to 3.8 after the test meal. At this time, the P value was less than 0.001, and the improvement in overall evaluation before and after ingesting the test food was statistically significant.

Based on the above, a questionnaire survey of 41 subjects showed that by continuously taking the test diet (Example 2) containing glucosamine, CoQ10, collagen peptide, HMB-Ca and ergothioneine twice a day for four weeks, athletic performance ("explosive power," "endurance," "concentration," "technique/precision"), pain due to sports injuries ("joint pain," "muscle pain," "ligament pain"), and fatigue due to exercise ("fatigue during exercise," "fatigue on the day after exercise," and "fatigue the day after exercise") were statistically significantly improved or ameliorated.

The composition of the present invention has the effect of preventing or ameliorating sports injuries and improving athletic performance when taken orally on a continuous basis, and therefore has industrial applicability as a composition for competitive athletes and people with athletic habits who suffer from age-related decline in athletic performance, fatigue, injuries, etc.

Claims (5)

A composition for preventing or improving sports injuries that contains glucosamines, ubiquinone, collagens, HMB or a salt thereof, and ergothioneine. The composition for preventing or improving sports injuries according to claim 1, wherein the sports injury is at least one selected from the group consisting of joint pain, ligament pain, muscle pain, pulled muscle, and general fatigue. A composition for preventing or improving sports injuries that contains glucosamine, coenzyme Q10, collagen peptides, HMB calcium and ergothioneine. The composition for preventing or improving sports injuries according to claim 3, wherein the sports injury is at least one selected from the group consisting of joint pain, ligament pain, muscle pain, pulled muscle, and general fatigue. A food or drink comprising a composition for preventing or improving sports injuries according to any one of claims 1 to 4.