WO2024009986A1

WO2024009986A1 - Endurance-improving agent

Info

Publication number: WO2024009986A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/024722
Authority: WO
Inventors: 英輔越智; 香里横井; 賢一柳本
Original assignee: 株式会社ニッスイ
Priority date: 2022-07-04
Filing date: 2023-07-04
Publication date: 2024-01-11

Abstract

The present invention provides: an endurance-improving composition that contains, as an active ingredient, triglycerides containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids; and an endurance-improving food composition, food additive, or the like that contains said composition.

Description

endurance enhancer

The present invention relates to a composition for improving endurance, a method for improving endurance using the same, and the like.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) contained in fish oil are known to have various physiological effects. For example, EPA is known to have an ameliorating effect on dyslipidemia (hyperlipidemia) such as hypertriglyceridemia. Therefore, these highly unsaturated fatty acids are widely used as medicines, health foods, food materials, and the like.
When used as a medicine, ethyl ester of highly unsaturated fatty acids is used, and when used as a health food, it is often used as a triglyceride such as purified fish oil.

Since medium-chain fatty acids are easily absorbed, there are reports of attempts to increase the absorption of polyunsaturated fatty acids by creating triglycerides containing polyunsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids.

Patent Document 1 states that, as constituent fatty acids, it contains 1 to 20% fatty acids with 20 to 22 carbon atoms, 30 to 50% fatty acids with 14 to 18 carbon atoms, and 40 to 60% fatty acids with 6 to 12 carbon atoms. Compositions containing triglycerides, suitable for parenteral administration, and which can be used to treat or prevent arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia are described.
Patent Document 2 describes that triglyceride obtained by transesterifying fish oil and medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride is quickly absorbed and is therefore suitable as a nutritional substitute for patients with reduced infection resistance.
Patent Document 3 describes an oil and fat composition having a blood lipid regulating function, which is a triglyceride containing 5 to 55% of N-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and 2 to 40% of medium chain fatty acids. There is.
Based on the knowledge that fatty acids bound to the 1st and 3rd positions of triglycerides are less susceptible to decomposition by lipase and difficult to absorb, Patent Documents 4 to 6 state that highly unsaturated fatty acids are bound to the 2nd position and medium-chain fatty acids are bound to the 1st and 3rd positions of triglycerides. It has been described that triglycerides with bound fatty acids are suitable as infusion fluids and enteral nutrition for patients with reduced absorption.
Patent Document 7 states that when triglycerides (EPA/MCT structured lipids) whose constituent fatty acids are fatty acids derived from fish oil containing EPA and medium-chain fatty acids are ingested, a mixture of refined fish oil and triglycerides whose constituent fatty acids are medium-chain fatty acids occurs. It has been described that compared to oil, EPA is absorbed faster and a higher blood EPA concentration can be maintained. However, what is shown in Patent Document 7 is that when EPA/MCT structured lipid is ingested once, the movement of EPA into the blood increases transiently, and it is unclear what kind of effect can be obtained by continuous administration. Not shown.
Patent Document 8 states that orally ingesting highly unsaturated fatty acids increases lymph fluid flow, and that ingesting triglycerides containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids in one molecule as constituent fatty acids increases the lymph flow rate more significantly. It is disclosed that lymph fluid flow is increased.

Several research results have been reported regarding the effects on exercise performance of ingesting fish oil or n-3 (or omega-3) long-chain unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as EPA and DHA. While some reports conclude that n-3 PUFA intake had a beneficial effect on exercise performance, others report that exercise performance did not improve.

In Non-Patent Document 1, healthy male cyclists were given 3.2 g/day of n-3 PUFA (0.8 g of EPA and 2.4 g of DHA) for 8 weeks, and were asked to exercise for at least 60 minutes on a bicycle ergometer. It is stated that although heart rate, RPP (Rate Pressure Product), and whole body O ₂ consumption decreased, no significant difference was observed in exercise time until fatigue compared to a placebo.
Non-Patent Document 2 states that when male cyclists took 6 g/day of fish oil with or without vitamin E for 3 weeks and exercised on a bicycle ergometer for about 1 hour, there was no improvement in exercise performance compared to a placebo. It is stated that no significant difference was observed.
Non-Patent Document 3 describes a 14-day intake of fish oil (containing 1.1 g/day EPA and 0.7 g/day DHA) by healthy, sedentary male subjects in a human study using a bicycle ergometer. However, it was reported that there was no effect on maximum oxygen uptake (VO ₂ max) or energy metabolism.

Non-Patent Document 4 states that when elite cyclists took 2.6 g/day of n-3 PUFA for 3 weeks and performed a bicycle pedal exercise test, maximum oxygen uptake (VO ₂ max) was significantly lower than that of a placebo. It is stated that there has been an increase in
Non-Patent Document 5 describes that 8 weeks of n-3 PUFA intake and lifestyle modification significantly improved maximum oxygen uptake in overweight women compared to a control group.
Non-Patent Document 6 describes that subjects were given 3.6 g/day of fish oil (29.6% EPA and 12.9% DHA to total fatty acids) for 8 weeks without engaging in strenuous exercise. It is stated that when exercised, the amount of oxygen intake decreased compared to a placebo, and the value on the Borg scale, which is an index of perceived exercise intensity, also decreased.
However, Non-Patent Documents 4 to 6 do not disclose any specific results showing that exercise performance is improved by ingesting fish oil or n-3 PUFA, but they do not disclose any specific results showing that exercise performance is improved by ingesting fish oil or n-3 PUFA, but they do not disclose any specific results showing that exercise performance is improved by ingesting fish oil or n-3 PUFA. There is no mention of results.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-154618 Patent No. 2722229 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-226693 US Patent No. 4,607,052 WO88/09325 WO90/04010 WO2015/050071 WO2019/156210

An object of the present invention is to provide a means for improving endurance.

While developing new uses for triglycerides (structured lipids) that contain highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids in one molecule as constituent fatty acids, the present inventors unexpectedly found that intake of structured lipids increases the We found that the duration of exercise until fatigue when measuring intake (VO ₂ peak) was significantly extended compared to before intake. In addition, the amount of change in exercise duration before and after ingestion of the test substance was found in the group that ingested a mixture of triglycerides (physically mixed oil) with a similar fatty acid composition that does not contain polyunsaturated fatty acids or medium-chain fatty acids in one molecule. It was found that this was significantly greater in the group that ingested structured lipids. In addition, the anaerobic work threshold (AT), which is the point of transition from aerobic to anaerobic exercise, is also lowered by the intake of structured lipids compared to before intake or after intake of physical oil mixture. was found to be significantly higher than that of Furthermore, in the group that ingested structured lipids, subjects with low seafood intake tended to have larger changes in exercise duration before and after ingesting the test substance compared to subjects with high seafood intake. I found out.
Based on this knowledge, the present inventors conducted further research and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
[1] An endurance-improving composition containing, as an active ingredient, triglyceride containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids.
[2] The composition according to [1], wherein the fatty acid composition of the composition contains 10 to 70% by weight of highly unsaturated fatty acids and 20 to 70% by weight of medium chain fatty acids.
[3] 19 mg/kg body weight/day or more and 30 mg/kg body weight/day or less of highly unsaturated fatty acids are used so as to be ingested by the subject for 8 weeks or more, [1] or The composition according to [2].
[4] The composition according to any one of [1] to [3], which is used to be ingested by a subject whose seafood intake is 1.1 kcal/kg body weight/day or less. .
[5] The composition according to any one of [1] to [4], which is used to be ingested by a subject whose maximum oxygen uptake is 60 mL/kg/min or less.
[6] The composition according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms.
[7] The composition according to [6], wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid.
[8] The composition according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the medium chain fatty acid is a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms.
[9] Endurance can be improved by extending the duration of exercise, extending the duration of exercise during high-intensity exercise, extending the duration of exercise during aerobic exercise, extending the duration of exercise during progressively increasing load exercise, and promoting fat burning during exercise. , promoting fat burning during high-intensity exercise, promoting fat burning during aerobic exercise, promoting lipid burning during progressively increasing load exercise, improving anaerobic work threshold, reducing fatigue during exercise, and improving muscular endurance. The composition according to any one of [1] to [8], which is at least one selected from the group consisting of:
[10] A food composition or food additive for improving endurance, comprising the composition according to any one of [1] to [9].
[11] A method for producing a food composition or food additive for use in improving endurance, wherein the composition according to any one of [1] to [9] is added to the food composition or food additive. The method described above includes imparting an endurance improving function by blending.

[12] A method for improving endurance, the method comprising causing a subject to ingest an effective amount of a composition containing as an active ingredient triglyceride containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids.
[13] The method according to [12], wherein the fatty acid composition of the composition contains 10 to 70% by weight of highly unsaturated fatty acids and 20 to 70% by weight of medium chain fatty acids.
[14] The method according to [12] or [13], which comprises causing the subject to ingest 19 mg/kg body weight/day or more and 30 mg/kg body weight/day or less of highly unsaturated fatty acids for 8 weeks or more.
[15] The method according to any one of [12] to [14], wherein the seafood intake in the subject is 1.1 kcal/kg body weight/day or less.
[16] The method according to any one of [12] to [15], wherein the maximum oxygen uptake in the subject is 60 mL/kg/min or less.
[17] The method according to any one of [12] to [16], wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms.
[18] The method according to [17], wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid.
[19] The method according to any one of [12] to [18], wherein the medium chain fatty acid is a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms.
[20] Endurance can be improved by extending the duration of exercise, extending the duration of exercise during high-intensity exercise, extending the duration of exercise during aerobic exercise, extending the duration of exercise during progressively increasing load exercise, and promoting fat burning during exercise. , promoting fat burning during high-intensity exercise, promoting fat burning during aerobic exercise, promoting lipid burning during progressively increasing load exercise, improving anaerobic work threshold, reducing fatigue during exercise, and improving muscular endurance. The method according to any one of [12] to [19], which is at least one selected from the group consisting of:
[21] The method according to any one of [12] to [20], wherein the composition is in the form of a food composition or a food additive.

[22] A composition containing as an active ingredient a triglyceride containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids, for use in improving endurance.
[23] The composition according to [22], wherein the fatty acid composition of the composition contains 10 to 70% by weight of highly unsaturated fatty acids and 20 to 70% by weight of medium chain fatty acids.
[24] 19 mg/kg body weight/day or more and 30 mg/kg body weight/day or less of highly unsaturated fatty acids are used so as to be ingested by the subject for 8 weeks or more, [22] or The composition according to [23].
[25] The composition according to any one of [22] to [24], which is used to be ingested by a subject whose seafood intake is 1.1 kcal/kg body weight/day or less. .
[26] The composition according to any one of [22] to [25], which is used to be ingested by a subject whose maximum oxygen uptake is 60 mL/kg/min or less.
[27] The composition according to any one of [22] to [26], wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms.
[28] The composition according to [27], wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid.
[29] The composition according to any one of [22] to [28], wherein the medium chain fatty acid is a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms.
[30] Endurance can be improved by extending the duration of exercise, extending the duration of exercise during high-intensity exercise, extending the duration of exercise during aerobic exercise, extending the duration of exercise during progressively increasing load exercise, and promoting fat burning during exercise. , promoting fat burning during high-intensity exercise, promoting fat burning during aerobic exercise, promoting lipid burning during progressively increasing load exercise, improving anaerobic work threshold, reducing fatigue during exercise, and improving muscular endurance. The composition according to any one of [22] to [29], which is at least one selected from the group consisting of:
[31] The composition according to any one of [22] to [30], which is in the form of a food composition or a food additive.

[32] Use of a composition containing a triglyceride containing a highly unsaturated fatty acid and a medium-chain fatty acid as an active ingredient for the production of a composition for improving endurance.
[33] The use according to [32], wherein the fatty acid composition of the composition contains 10 to 70% by weight of highly unsaturated fatty acids and 20 to 70% by weight of medium chain fatty acids.
[34] The endurance-improving composition is used so that the subject ingests polyunsaturated fatty acids of 19 mg/kg body weight/day or more and 30 mg/kg body weight/day or less for 8 weeks or more. The use according to [32] or [33], characterized in that:
[35] The composition for improving endurance is used so as to be ingested by a subject whose seafood intake is 1.1 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, [32] to [34] Use as described in any of the above.
[36] Any one of [32] to [35], wherein the composition for improving endurance is used to be ingested by a subject whose maximum oxygen uptake is 60 mL/kg/min or less. Uses as described in.
[37] The use according to any one of [32] to [36], wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms.
[38] The use according to [37], wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid.
[39] The use according to any one of [32] to [38], wherein the medium chain fatty acid is a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms.
[40] Endurance can be improved by extending the duration of exercise, extending the duration of exercise during high-intensity exercise, extending the duration of exercise during aerobic exercise, extending the duration of exercise during progressively increasing load exercise, and promoting fat burning during exercise. , promoting fat burning during high-intensity exercise, promoting fat burning during aerobic exercise, promoting fat burning during progressively increasing load exercise, improving anaerobic work threshold, reducing fatigue during exercise, and improving muscular endurance. The use according to any one of [32] to [39], which is at least one selected from the group consisting of:
[41] The use according to any one of [32] to [40], wherein the endurance improving composition is in the form of a food composition or a food additive.

Endurance can be improved by orally ingesting the composition of the present invention.

A group that ingested triglycerides (STG) whose constituent fatty acids were fatty acids derived from fish oil containing EPA and medium-chain fatty acids (STG group), and a mixed oil (PM) in which refined fish oil and MCT were mixed at a weight ratio of 50:50. The duration of exercise at the time of measuring the maximum oxygen uptake before and after the intake in the intake group (PM group) is shown. *: p<0.05 for the difference between the value before and after intake in the STG group. The amount of change in exercise duration when measuring the maximum oxygen uptake before and after intake in the STG group and the PM group is shown. *: p<0.05 for the difference between the amount of change in the STG group and the amount of change in the PM group. The anaerobic work threshold values (%VO ₂ peak) before and after ingestion in the STG group and PM group are shown. **: p<0.01 for the difference between the value before and after intake in the STG group. †: p<0.05 for the difference between the post-intake value in the STG group and the post-intake value in the PM group. The amount of change in the anaerobic work threshold value (%VO ₂ peak) before and after intake in the STG group and the PM group is shown. *: p<0.05 for the difference between the amount of change in the STG group and the amount of change in the PM group.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below.
Note that the following abbreviations may be used in this specification.
EPA: Eicosapentaenoic acid
DHA: Docosahexaenoic acid
MCFA: Medium chain fatty acids
MCT: Triglyceride whose constituent fatty acids are only medium-chain fatty acids
STG: structured triglyceride, structured triacylglycerol, or structured lipid (STG is a structured lipid with a specific fatty acid composition in the examples)
PM: physical mixture or physically mixed oil (in the examples, PM is a physically mixed oil with a specific fatty acid composition)
AT: Anaerobic work threshold (also called anaerobic metabolic threshold)

The present invention provides a composition for improving endurance (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the composition of the present invention), which contains as an active ingredient a triglyceride containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids.

In the present invention, "endurance" refers to the ability to continuously perform specific physical activities such as exercise (for example, walking, running, swimming, cycling, etc.). "Improving endurance" means that the duration of the physical activity is extended, or that the energy metabolism in the body is improved so that the duration of the physical activity can be extended.

Endurance improvement in the present invention can be evaluated by a multi-step load escalation method (Whipp BJ et al., J. Apple. Physiol.: Respirat. Environ. Exercise physiol. 50(1): 217-221, 1981). For example, when using a bicycle ergometer, the pedal rotation speed during exercise is 60 rpm, and after 3 minutes of rest, a 3-minute warm-up exercise with a load of 20 watts is performed, and then the exercise is started with a load of 60 watts, and every 2 minutes. Increase the load by 30 watts and have them perform the exercise until they reach exhaustion. The final exercise load is when the subject's pedal rotation speed falls below 50 rpm three times, and the exercise and measurement are terminated when the measurement of oxygen intake under that load is completed. If the duration of exercise is significantly longer in the group that ingested the test substance compared to before ingesting the test substance or compared to the group that did not ingest the test substance, the test substance is considered to have an endurance-enhancing effect. It is evaluated as having.

In addition, in the group that ingested the test substance, the anaerobic threshold (AT; also referred to as anaerobic metabolic threshold) was significantly higher than before ingestion of the test substance or compared to the group that did not ingest the test substance. The test substance is also evaluated as having an endurance-enhancing effect if the In this specification, AT is the exercise intensity that is the change point from aerobic exercise to anaerobic exercise in the multi-step load increasing method (gradual load test) as described above, and is an exercise intensity that Identified by measurement. Therefore, in this specification, AT can also be referred to as ventilatory work threshold (VT). In this specification, AT is expressed as a value (%VO ₂ peak) representing the ratio of oxygen uptake to maximum oxygen uptake at the exercise intensity when switching from aerobic exercise to anaerobic exercise. %VO ₂ peak can be calculated by measuring oxygen intake and identifying AT by measuring carbon dioxide output in the multi-step load escalation method described above. In this specification, the value of %VO ₂ peak representing the anaerobic work threshold may be referred to as "AT value".

In one embodiment, the endurance improvement in the present invention can be an increase in exercise duration. Exercise duration refers to the time from the start of exercise to the time when a person reaches exhaustion and becomes difficult to continue exercising in a specific physical activity. The extension of the exercise duration can be, for example, an extension of the exercise duration during high-intensity exercise, an extension of the exercise duration during aerobic exercise, or an extension of the exercise duration during progressive load exercise. High-intensity exercise is defined as 70% VO ₂ max or higher, such as 75% VO ₂ max or higher, 80% VO ₂ max or higher, 85% VO ₂ max or higher, 90% VO ₂ max or higher, 95% VO ₂ max or higher, or This refers to exercise that is intense enough to achieve 100% VO ₂ max. VO ₂ max is the maximum oxygen uptake, which is the maximum amount of oxygen that can be taken in per minute (mL/kg/min or L/min). %VO ₂ max is a value expressed as a percentage of the subject's oxygen intake during exercise to VO ₂ max. Aerobic exercise is exercise performed using carbohydrates and lipids as energy sources through aerobic metabolism. Gradual load exercise refers to exercise performed under conditions where the exercise load is increased by a certain amount at regular intervals.
In addition, the extension of exercise duration can be affected by various factors such as heart rate during _exercise and improvement of muscle damage and muscle fatigue. This does not indicate that the duration of exercise actually increases.

In one embodiment, improved endurance in the present invention may be an improvement in energy metabolism in the body so that the duration of exercise can be extended. Such improvement of energy metabolism in the body may be the promotion of fat burning during exercise. "Lipid burning" refers to using fat as an energy source. The promotion of fat burning during exercise can be, for example, the promotion of fat burning during high-intensity exercise, the promotion of fat burning during aerobic exercise, or the promotion of fat burning during gradually increasing load exercise. The effect of improving AT by the composition of the present invention means that fat burning during exercise is promoted. It has been known that medium-chain fatty acids are used more efficiently as an energy source during exercise than long-chain fatty acids such as EPA (Am J Clin Nutr. 36(5), 950-62. 1982)). On the other hand, it is not known that simply ingesting long-chain fatty acids that are not in the form of structured lipids promotes fat burning during exercise. In fact, as shown in the Examples below, AT was not improved in a physically mixed oil containing a triglyceride containing EPA as a constituent fatty acid. Ingestion of triglycerides containing polyunsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids is thought to improve energy metabolism in the body and promote fat burning during exercise. This was previously unknown in the art.

In one embodiment, improving endurance in the present invention may be improving AT. The improvement in AT can be, for example, an increase in AT during high-intensity exercise, an increase in AT during aerobic exercise, or an increase in AT during progressive resistance exercise.

In one embodiment, improving endurance in the present invention may be reducing fatigue during exercise. As used herein, fatigue means physical fatigue resulting from exercise. The extension of exercise duration due to the intake of the composition of the present invention can be attributed to the fact that fatigue becomes less likely to occur. Reducing fatigue during exercise can be, for example, reducing fatigue during high-intensity exercise, reducing fatigue during aerobic exercise, or reducing fatigue during incremental load exercise.

In one embodiment, improving endurance in the present invention may be improving muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is the ability of a particular muscle to continue contracting repeatedly, or the ability to continue an exercise using one part of the body's muscles for an extended period of time. The bicycle ergometer exercise used in the examples is known as training for improving muscular endurance. Improving muscular endurance can be, for example, improving muscular endurance during high-intensity exercise, improving muscular endurance during aerobic exercise, or improving muscular endurance during progressive load exercise.

In the present invention, highly unsaturated fatty acids are fatty acids with 18 or more carbon atoms and 3 or more double bonds, such as fatty acids with 20 or more carbon atoms and 3 or more double bonds, fatty acids with 20 or more carbon atoms, and double bonds. It is a fatty acid with a number of 4 or more, or a fatty acid with a carbon number of 20 or more and a double bond number of 5 or more. Specifically, α-linolenic acid (18:3, n-3), γ-linolenic acid (18:3, n-6), octadecatetraenoic acid (18:4, n-3), icosatetraenoic acid ( 20:4, n-3), arachidonic acid (20:4, n-6), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (20:3, n-6), icosapentaenoic acid (20:5, n-3), hemp Examples include icosapentaenoic acid (21:5, n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5, n-6), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n-3). In a preferred embodiment, the highly unsaturated fatty acid is an n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid, more preferably eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid.
Glycerides containing highly unsaturated fatty acids as constituent fatty acids are known to be abundantly contained in certain types of microbial oils, vegetable oils, marine animal oils, and the like. Specifically, fish oils such as sardine oil, tuna oil, bonito oil, menhaden oil, cod liver oil, herring oil, capelin oil, and salmon oil and marine animal oils from crustaceans such as krill, perilla, flax, soybean, and rapeseed. Examples include vegetable oils such as , oils and fats produced by microorganisms belonging to the genus Mortierella, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Rhodotorula, and Fusarium. In one embodiment, the highly unsaturated fatty acids that are constituent fatty acids of the triglyceride in the present invention may be derived from these fats and oils.

In the present invention, medium chain fatty acids refer to those having 8 to 12 carbon atoms, and may be either saturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acids. Specific examples include caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. The medium chain fatty acids may be used alone or in combination of two or more. In a preferred embodiment, the medium chain fatty acid is caprylic acid and/or capric acid. Glycerides whose constituent fatty acids are medium-chain fatty acids are known to be abundant in coconut oil, palm oil, and the like. In one embodiment, the medium chain fatty acids that are constituent fatty acids of the triglyceride in the present invention are derived from these fats and oils.

The active ingredient in the composition of the present invention is a triglyceride containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids. As shown in the examples below, triglycerides containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids in one molecule as constituent fatty acids have a higher endurance-improving effect than mixed oils with the same fatty acid composition.
Such a triglyceride can be prepared, for example, by subjecting a triglyceride containing a highly unsaturated fatty acid as a constituent fatty acid and a triglyceride containing a medium chain fatty acid as a constituent fatty acid to a transesterification reaction, as described above. The catalyst used for transesterification may be a chemical catalyst or an enzyme (lipase). In transesterification using a chemical catalyst, the bonding positions of the constituent fatty acids are random. Note that triglycerides prepared by changing the bonding positions and fatty acid compositions of fatty acids in naturally occurring triglycerides are sometimes referred to as structured lipids.
When using a chemical catalyst, for example, about 0.1 to 2% by weight of the catalyst is added to a mixed oil of a triglyceride containing a highly unsaturated fatty acid as a constituent fatty acid and a triglyceride containing a medium chain fatty acid as a constituent fatty acid, and the mixture is heated under normal pressure or reduced pressure. The reaction is carried out with stirring at 50-270°C for 3-120 minutes. The desired product can be obtained by performing usual purification such as washing with water, drying, decolorization, and deodorization. The mixing ratio of triglycerides containing polyunsaturated fatty acids as constituent fatty acids and triglycerides containing medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids may be appropriately set so as to obtain an endurance improvement effect. The proportions of highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium chain fatty acids in the composition are mixed as disclosed herein.
Examples of the chemical catalyst include alkali metal hydroxides such as lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, and potassium hydroxide, and alkali metal alkoxides such as lithium methoxide and sodium methoxide.

In one embodiment, in the fatty acid composition of the composition of the invention, the highly unsaturated fatty acids are 10 to 70% by weight, such as 15 to 50%, 20 to 40% by weight, and the medium chain fatty acids are 20 to 70% by weight. It may be 70% by weight, such as 30-60%, 40-55% by weight. In a preferred embodiment, in the fatty acid composition of the composition of the invention, highly unsaturated fatty acids may be 10 to 70% by weight and medium chain fatty acids may be 20 to 70% by weight. Further, in one embodiment, when the highly unsaturated fatty acids are EPA and DHA and the medium chain fatty acids are caprylic acid and capric acid, the fatty acid composition of the composition of the present invention contains 5 to 65% by weight of highly unsaturated fatty acids. , for example 10-45%, 15-35% by weight, and medium chain fatty acids can be 20-70%, eg 30-60%, 40-55% by weight. In a preferred embodiment, the highly unsaturated fatty acids are EPA and DHA, and the medium chain fatty acids are caprylic acid and capric acid, and the polyunsaturated fatty acids are 5-65% by weight in the fatty acid composition of the composition of the invention. , and the medium chain fatty acids can be 20-70% by weight.

In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the proportion (wt%) of fatty acids to the total fatty acids in the composition is determined by gas chromatography after esterifying the components in the composition according to "AOCS official method Ce1b-89". Calculated based on the measured value. The content of fatty acids also refers to the ratio (% by weight) of the fatty acids to the total fatty acids mentioned above. The analysis conditions for gas chromatography are as follows.
Equipment: Agilent 6890N GC system (Agilent)
Column: DB-WAX (Agilent Technologies, 30m x 0.25mm ID, 0.25μm film thickness)
Carrier gas: Helium (1.0mL/min, constant flow)
Inlet temperature: 250℃
Injection volume: 1μL
Injection method: Split Split ratio: 20:1
Column oven: 180℃ - 3℃/min - 230℃
Detector: FID
Detector temperature: 250℃

The subject to whom the composition of the present invention is administered is a mammal, preferably a human. In one embodiment, the compositions of the invention may be administered to a subject in need of increased endurance, particularly increased exercise duration. When the composition of the present invention is used for non-therapeutic purposes, the subjects to be administered are healthy people, such as professional athletes or athletes who regularly train, healthy people or casual athletes who actively exercise or play sports, and This includes healthy people who do not regularly engage in high-intensity exercise.

In one embodiment, the subject administered the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ); Bull FC et al. Global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ): nine country reliability and validity study. J Phys Act Health. 2009 Nov;6(6):790-804) question item "Number of days of high-intensity physical activity at work per week" is 0 to 7 days, preferably 0 to 2 days, for example 0 days, 1 It can be someone who is a day or two days old.
In one embodiment, the subject to be administered has a GPAQ question item "number of days of moderate-intensity physical activity at work in a week" of 0 to 7 days, preferably 0 to 3 days, for example 0 days, 1 day. , 2 days, or 3 days.
Here, "work" includes studies and part-time jobs. In addition, "high-intensity physical activity" and "moderate-intensity physical activity" refer to physical activity of 8 METs and physical activity of 4 METs, respectively (Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) Analysis Guide, Surveillance and Population-Based Prevention, Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases Department, World Health Organization).

In one embodiment, the subject to be administered has a GPAQ question item of "number of days with travel of 10 minutes or more in a week" of 0 to 7 days, preferably 4 to 7 days, for example, 4 days, 5 days. It can be someone who is 1 day, 6 days, or 7 days old.

In one embodiment, the subject is one whose maximum oxygen uptake is 60 mL/kg/min or less, such as 40-60 mL/kg/min, 40-50 mL/kg/min, or 50-60 mL/kg/min. It can be.

As shown in the Examples below, the composition of the present invention has a high effect of improving endurance in subjects who consume a small amount of seafood. In the present invention, seafood refers to fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, but does not include small fish. Seafood may be in any form, such as raw (for example, sashimi), filleted, surimi (for example, bamboo shoots, kamaboko, etc.), frozen, dried (for example, dried fish), or freeze-dried. The intake of seafood by the subject is the average value for one week before the start of intake of the composition of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the intake of seafood in the subject is determined by a survey method using a food frequency questionnaire (Takahashi et al., Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 59, No. 5, p. 221-232 (2001)). can be determined by The questionnaire includes questions equivalent to the following: "What kind of seafood and processed seafood do you eat? How many times a week do you eat it? Please enter small fish in a separate section. Normal The amount is 80g. 80g means 1 fillet, 1 medium fish, 5 sashimi, 1 dried fish, 1 medium chikuwa or kamaboko, 15 clams with shell, 3 to 4 medium shrimp. , 1/2 cup if you like.” In the answer column, select whether you eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner: none, a little (1/2 the usual amount), normal, or a lot (1.5 times the normal amount). The number of times shall be entered.

In one embodiment, the subject to whom the composition of the present invention is administered has a seafood intake of 0 kcal/day or more and 71 kcal/day or less, for example, 60 kcal/day or less, 50 kcal/day or less, 40 kcal/day or less, It may be 30 kcal/day or less, 20 kcal/day or less, or 10 kcal/day or less. Alternatively, the administration subject of the present invention may have a seafood intake of 0 kcal/kg body weight/day or more and 1.1 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, for example, 0.89 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, 0.75 kcal /kg body weight/day or less, 0.60 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, 0.45 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, 0.30 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, or 0.15 kcal/kg body weight/day or less It can be.

The composition of the present invention can be used in forms suitable for pharmaceutical compositions, food compositions (e.g., functional foods, health foods, supplements, etc.), food additives, etc., such as granules (including dry syrup), capsules (soft capsules), etc. Various solid preparations such as tablets (including chewable preparations), powders, and pills, and liquid preparations such as liquid preparations for internal use (including liquid preparations, suspensions, and syrups) It may also be prepared in the form of a preparation. For example, the composition of the present invention can be formulated as a soft capsule containing the active ingredient in a gelatin shell.

Additives for formulation include, for example, excipients, lubricants, binders, disintegrants, fluidizers, dispersants, wetting agents, preservatives, thickeners, pH adjusters, colorants, Examples include flavoring agents, surfactants, and solubilizing agents. In addition, when it is in the form of a liquid agent, a thickener such as pectin, xanthan gum, guar gum, etc. can be added. Moreover, it can be made into a coated tablet using a coating agent or a paste-like glue. Furthermore, even when preparing other forms, conventional methods may be followed.

The composition of the present invention can take the form of a food composition or a food additive. In the present invention, the food composition refers to foods in general including beverages, and includes general foods including health foods such as supplements, as well as foods for specified health uses and foods with nutritional function specified in the Food with Health Claims System of the Consumer Affairs Agency. Also includes. For example, functional foods labeled as having the effect of improving endurance are provided. For example, food products containing fish oil can be provided as is. The food composition or food additive of the present invention also includes food materials that can be added to, mixed with, or applied to other foods to impart an endurance-improving effect. In addition to food, it can also be provided as animal feed.

The food composition or food additive of the present invention can be prepared by blending the composition of the present invention into the food composition or food additive, thereby imparting an endurance-improving function.

The food composition of the present invention may be a beverage, confectionery, bread, soup, etc., and includes, for example, general retort food, frozen food, instant food (noodles, etc.), canned food, sausage, cookies, biscuits, etc. Cereal bars, crackers, snacks (such as potato chips), pastries, cakes, pies, candies, chewing gum (including pellets and sticks), jellies, soups, ices, dressings, yogurts, etc., in the form of tablets, capsules, emulsions, etc. This includes supplements, soft drinks, etc. The method for producing these foods is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention, and any method used by those skilled in the art for each food may be followed.

It is within the scope of the present invention to sell the products of the present invention by displaying the effects of the compositions of the present invention on packaging containers, product instructions, and pamphlets. It is also within the scope of the present invention to display the effects of the present invention on television, Internet websites, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, etc. to advertise and sell the products according to the present invention. When the composition of the present invention is used as a drug or quasi-drug, the efficacy and effect of improving endurance may be indicated on the packaging container or the like.

In the present invention, the amount of the active ingredient ingested by the subject is not particularly limited, and for example, the amount of the active ingredient ingested by the subject is at least an effective amount to obtain the desired effect. Here, the effective amount for obtaining a desired effect refers to the amount necessary for improving endurance. For example, in the case of adults, depending on the subject's age, weight, health condition, etc., the active ingredient may be ingested at least 10 mg/kg body weight/day, such as at least 50 mg/kg body weight/day, or at least 100 mg/kg body weight/day. Furthermore, since the active ingredients of the composition of the present invention do not have strong side effects, there is no limit to the daily intake, but for example, up to 500 mg/kg body weight/day, 400 mg/kg body weight. /day, up to 200 mg/kg body weight/day, or up to 150 mg/kg body weight/day. Similarly, the period of intake of the composition of the present invention is not limited, but may be, for example, for 4 weeks or more, 5 weeks or more, 6 weeks or more, 7 weeks or more, or 8 weeks or more, and at least improves endurance. Intake may continue until confirmed.

In one embodiment, the composition of the present invention comprises 2.0 g/day or less, such as 1.9 g/day or less, 1.8 g/day or less, 1.7 g/day or less, 1.6 g/day or less, 1. Up to .5 g/day, up to 1.4 g/day, or up to 1.3 g/day of highly unsaturated fatty acids can be used to be ingested by the subject for 8 weeks or more. Alternatively, the composition of the present invention may be administered at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight or less, such as 28 mg/kg body weight or less, 27 mg/kg body weight or less, 26 mg/kg body weight or less, 25 mg/kg body weight/day or less, Altitude below 24 mg/kg body weight/day, below 23 mg/kg body weight/day, below 22 mg/kg body weight/day, below 21 mg/kg body weight/day, below 20 mg/kg body weight/day, or below 19 mg/kg body weight/day Unsaturated fatty acids can be used to be ingested by a subject for 8 weeks or more. Alternatively, the composition of the invention may be administered at a dose of 19 mg/kg body weight or more and 30 mg/kg body weight/day or less, such as 28 mg/kg body weight or less, 27 mg/kg body weight/day or less, 26 mg/kg body weight/day or less. , 25 mg/kg body weight/day or less, 24 mg/kg body weight/day or less, 23 mg/kg body weight/day or less, 22 mg/kg body weight/day or less, 21 mg/kg body weight/day or less, or 20 mg/kg body weight/day or less Highly unsaturated fatty acids can be used to be ingested by a subject for 8 weeks or more.

In one embodiment, when the highly unsaturated fatty acid is eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid, the composition of the present invention may contain up to 1.0 g/day, such as up to 0.95 g/day, up to 0.90 g/day. , or 0.86 g/day or less of highly unsaturated fatty acids may be used to be ingested by the subject for 8 weeks or more. Alternatively, if the highly unsaturated fatty acid is eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid, the composition of the invention may contain up to 15 mg/kg body weight/day, such as up to 14 mg/kg body weight/day, or 13 mg/kg body weight/day. The following highly unsaturated fatty acids may be used to be ingested by a subject for 8 weeks or more. Alternatively, when the highly unsaturated fatty acid is eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid, the composition of the invention may contain at least 13 mg/kg body weight/day and at most 15 mg/kg body weight/day, such as 14 mg/kg body weight/day. The following highly unsaturated fatty acids may be used to be ingested by a subject for 8 weeks or more. Here, the intake amount of highly unsaturated fatty acids is the value obtained by converting the constituent fatty acids in triglyceride, which is an active ingredient of the composition of the present invention, into free fatty acids. As shown in Patent Document 7 and the like, it has been known that when an EPA/MCT structured lipid is ingested once, the transfer of EPA into the blood is transiently increased. However, it is not known whether there is a relationship between blood EPA concentration and improved endurance.

In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the present invention is an endurance-improving composition containing as an active ingredient triglyceride containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids,
In the fatty acid composition of the composition, highly unsaturated fatty acids are 10 to 70% by weight, medium chain fatty acids are 20 to 70% by weight,
The highly unsaturated fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid,
medium chain fatty acids are caprylic acid and capric acid;
13 mg/kg body weight/day or more and 15 mg/kg body weight/day or less of highly unsaturated fatty acids are used so as to be ingested by the subject for 8 weeks or more,
The target GPAQ question item, ``Number of days of high-intensity physical activity at work per week'' is 0 to 2 days, and ``Number of days of moderate-intensity physical activity at work per week'' is 0 to 2 days. 0 to 3 days, and ``the number of days in a week that involves movement for 10 minutes or more'' is 4 to 7 days, and the improvement of endurance is due to prolonged exercise duration and high-intensity exercise. Extends exercise duration during aerobic exercise, increases exercise duration during progressively increasing load exercise, promotes fat burning during exercise, promotes fat burning during high-intensity exercise, increases fat during aerobic exercise Provided is a composition that is at least one selected from the group consisting of promoting combustion, promoting fat burning during exercise with increasing load, improving anaerobic work threshold, reducing fatigue during exercise, and improving muscular endurance. .

In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the present invention is a composition for extending exercise duration, which contains as an active ingredient triglyceride containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids,
In the fatty acid composition of the composition, highly unsaturated fatty acids are 10 to 70% by weight, medium chain fatty acids are 20 to 70% by weight,
The highly unsaturated fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid,
medium chain fatty acids are caprylic acid and capric acid;
13 mg/kg body weight/day or more and 15 mg/kg body weight/day or less of polyunsaturated fatty acids are used so as to be ingested by the subject for 8 weeks or more,
The target GPAQ question item, ``Number of days of high-intensity physical activity at work per week'' is 0 to 2 days, and ``Number of days of moderate-intensity physical activity at work per week'' is 0 to 2 days. 0 to 3 days, and the number of days in a week that involves traveling for 10 minutes or more is 4 to 7 days, and the subject's seafood intake is 0 kcal/kg body weight/day. or more, and 1.1 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, 0.89 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, 0.75 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, 0.60 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, 0.45 kcal/kg body weight/day 0.30 kcal/kg body weight/day or less, or 0.15 kcal/kg body weight/day or less.

In one aspect, the present invention may provide a method for improving endurance, the method comprising causing a subject to ingest an effective amount of a composition of the present invention. The method can be carried out according to the description herein regarding ingestion or administration of the compositions of the invention.

Next, the present invention will be further explained with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Example 1
1. Materials and methods (1) Preparation of test substance Refined fish oil (manufactured by Nippon Suisan Co., Ltd., standard values: EPA 28% by weight, DHA 12% by weight) and triglyceride (MCT; approximately 60% by weight caprylic acid) whose constituent fatty acids are only medium-chain fatty acids. %, about 40% by weight of capric acid). Refined fish oil and MCT were mixed at a weight ratio of 55:45, 0.2% by weight of sodium methoxide was added, and the mixture was stirred at 60 to 80°C for 60 minutes to perform transesterification. The product was washed with water, dried, bleached, and deodorized to prepare a triglyceride (hereinafter referred to as STG in the examples) whose constituent fatty acids were a fish oil-derived fatty acid containing EPA and a medium-chain fatty acid.
A mixed oil (hereinafter referred to as PM in the Examples) in which purified fish oil and MCT were mixed at a weight ratio of 50:50 was prepared as a control sample.
The fatty acid compositions of refined fish oil, MCT, STG, and PM are shown in Table 1.

(2) Test participants Nineteen healthy young men with no regular training habits participated in the test.
Data regarding the subjects (mean ± SD) are shown below. Age, weight, average BMI, and VO ₂ peak (peak oxygen uptake) are data at the start of the study. The number of days of physical activity is the average value for one week before the start of the study, and is calculated using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ); Bull FC et al. Global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ): nine country reliability and validity study. J Phys Act Health. 2009 Nov;6(6):790-804). Here, "work" includes studies and part-time jobs. In addition, "high-intensity physical activity" and "moderate-intensity physical activity" refer to physical activity of 8 METs and physical activity of 4 METs, respectively (Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) Analysis Guide, Surveillance and Population-Based Prevention, Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases Department, World Health Organization). Seafood intake was the average value for one week before the start of the study, and was determined using a survey method using a food frequency questionnaire (Takahashi et al., Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 59, No. 5, p. 221 - 232 (2001). )). The following questions were included in the questionnaire: ``What kind of seafood and processed seafood do you eat, how much of it, and how many times a week do you eat?Please write in a separate section for small fish. 80g. 80g means 1 fillet, 1 medium fish, 5 sashimi pieces, 1 dried fish, 1 medium chikuwa or kamaboko, 15 clams with shells, 3 to 4 medium shrimp, and squid. Then 1/2 cup." In the answer column, select whether you eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner: none, a little (1/2 the usual amount), normal, or a lot (1.5 times the normal amount). The number of times was recorded.
Age: 20±2 years Weight: 67.1±8.9 kg
Average BMI: 22.8±3.1 kg/ ^m2
VO ₂ peak (maximum oxygen uptake) ^* : 43.4±6.1 mL/kg/min
“Number of days of high-intensity physical activity at work per week”: 0.4±0.9 days “Number of days of moderate-intensity physical activity at work per week”: 1.1±1.7 days “Number of days of moderate-intensity physical activity at work per week”: 10 days per week "Number of days involving travel of more than 1 minute": 5.3±1.0 days*: VO ₂ peak measured in this example can be treated as approximately the same value as VO ₂ max (maximum oxygen uptake).

(3) Study outline Test participants were randomly divided into a group that ingested STG (STG group; n = 9) and a group that ingested PM (PM group; n = 10). The STG and PM groups ingested 4.38 g/day of STG and PM, respectively, for 8 weeks. In either case, the intake amount is 600 mg/day of EPA and 260 mg/day of DHA in terms of free fatty acids.
Study participants underwent a peak oxygen uptake (VO ₂ peak) test before and after 8 weeks of ingestion of the test substance. During the study period, study participants were instructed not to change their dietary habits prior to intake.The average calorie intake of study participants during the study period was 2235 kcal/day, and the average water intake The mean protein intake was 90 g/day, the mean fat intake was 74 g/day, and the mean carbohydrate intake was 289 g/day.

(4) Maximum oxygen uptake (VO ₂ peak) measurement method Measurement was performed by a multi-step load increasing method using a bicycle ergometer (pedal rotation speed during exercise was 60 rpm). After 3 minutes of rest, the subjects performed a 3-minute warm-up exercise with a load of 20 watts. After the warm-up exercise was completed, exercise was started with a load of 60 watts, and the load was increased by 30 watts every 2 minutes until exhaustion was reached. The final exercise load was defined as the time when the test participant's pedal rotation speed fell below 50 rpm three times, and the exercise and measurements were terminated when the measurement of oxygen intake under that load was completed. The duration of exercise at the end of exercise was recorded.
In addition, carbon dioxide emissions were measured in this test. It is known that oxygen intake increases in proportion to exercise load, but carbon dioxide output rapidly increases after a certain exercise load. The point at which carbon dioxide emissions suddenly increased was defined as the anaerobic work threshold (ventilatory work threshold). Changes in the anaerobic work threshold were evaluated by calculating (oxygen uptake at anaerobic work threshold/maximum oxygen uptake) x 100 (%VO ₂ peak; AT value).

(5) Statistical analysis Analysis of exercise duration and AT value was performed by two-way analysis of variance. Analysis of the amount of change in exercise duration, the amount of change in AT value, and the amount of change in VO ₂ peak was performed using a paired t-test.

[result]
Figure 1 shows the duration of exercise when measuring the maximum oxygen uptake before and after intake in each group. In the STG group, the exercise duration after STG intake was significantly increased compared to before STG intake (two-way analysis of variance, p<0.05). On the other hand, in the PM group, no significant change in exercise duration was observed before and after ingesting PM. In addition, when we analyzed the amount of change in exercise duration before and after intake in the STG group (53 ± 53 seconds) and the amount of change in exercise duration before and after intake in the PM group (-10 ± 63 seconds), it was found that there was a significant A difference (p<0.05) was observed (Figure 2). Therefore, it has been shown that triglycerides containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids have a function of improving endurance, particularly a function of extending exercise duration.

Figure 3 shows the anaerobic work threshold values (%VO ₂ peak) before and after intake in each group. In the STG group, the AT value after STG intake was significantly higher compared to before STG intake and compared to after PM intake (two-way analysis of variance, p<0.05). On the other hand, in the PM group, no significant change in AT value was observed before and after ingesting PM. In addition, when the amount of change in AT value before and after intake in the STG group (6±5) and the amount of change in AT value before and after intake in the PM group (0±6) were analyzed using a t-test, there was a significant difference (p<0.05). ) was observed (Figure 4). A higher AT value means that the time available for aerobic exercise is extended. The main energy sources during aerobic exercise are carbohydrates and lipids, and the main energy sources during anaerobic exercise are carbohydrates. It is thought that the AT value increases by promoting lipid utilization during exercise. Therefore, from the results of this example, the intake of triglycerides containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids is more effective as an energy source during exercise than the intake of physically mixed oils with similar fatty acid compositions. It was suggested that the utilization of lipids was promoted.

In addition, regarding the duration of exercise in the STG group, the intake of seafood was lower (n = 5) than the average value of test participants in the STG group (71 kcal/day, or 1.1 kcal/kg body weight/day). Stratified analysis was performed by dividing into groups (n=3) (Table 2). As a result, it was found that the group with a low seafood intake tended to have a larger change in exercise duration before and after STG intake than the group with a high seafood intake.

Therefore, it has been shown that triglycerides containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids exhibit a particularly high ability to improve endurance in subjects who consume relatively little seafood.

The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions, food compositions, food additives, etc. that improve endurance.

Claims

An endurance-improving composition containing as an active ingredient triglyceride containing highly unsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids as constituent fatty acids.
The composition according to claim 1, wherein the fatty acid composition of the composition contains 10 to 70% by weight of highly unsaturated fatty acids and 20 to 70% by weight of medium chain fatty acids.
3. According to claim 1 or 2, the highly unsaturated fatty acid is used so as to be ingested by the subject for 8 weeks or more. Composition of.
The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is used to be ingested by a subject whose seafood intake is 1.1 kcal/kg body weight/day or less.
The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is used to be ingested by a subject whose maximum oxygen uptake is 60 mL/kg/min or less.
The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is a fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms.
The composition according to claim 6, wherein the highly unsaturated fatty acid is eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid.
The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the medium chain fatty acid is a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms.
Improved endurance can be achieved by extending the duration of exercise, extending the duration of exercise during high-intensity exercise, extending the duration of exercise during aerobic exercise, extending the duration of exercise during progressively increasing load exercise, promoting fat burning during exercise, and increasing the intensity of exercise. From the group consisting of promoting fat burning during exercise, promoting fat burning during aerobic exercise, promoting fat burning during progressively increasing load exercise, improving anaerobic work threshold, reducing fatigue during exercise, and improving muscular endurance. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is at least one selected from the group consisting of:
A food composition or food additive for improving endurance, comprising the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
A method for producing a food composition or food additive for use in improving endurance, the method comprising incorporating the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9 into the food composition or food additive. said method comprising imparting an endurance-enhancing function.