Rev Bras Fisiol Exerc 2020;19(4):270-74
doi: 10.33233/rbfex.v19i4.4013
OPINION
Physical exercise and medicinal plants: a promising source for health promotion?
Exercício físico e plantas medicinais: fonte promissora para a promoção da saúde?
Lúcio Marques Vieira Souza1,2, Jymmys Lopes dos Santos1,2, Silvan Silva de Araújo2,3, Anderson Carlos Marçal3, Charles dos Santos Estevam1,2
1Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão,SE, Brazil
2Laboratório de Química de Produtos Naturais e Bioquímica, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão,SE, Brazil
3Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão,SE, Brazil
Received on: April 9, 2020; accepted on: June 22, 2020.
Corresponding author:
Lúcio Marques Vieira Souza, Laboratório de Química
de Produtos Naturais e Bioquímica, Departamento de Fisiologia,
Cidade Universitária “Prof. José Aloísio de
Campos”, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n Jardim Rosa Elze 49100-000 São Cristóvão SE, Brasil
Lúcio Marques Vieira Souza: profedf.luciomarkes@gmail.com
Jymmys Lopes dos Santos: jymmyslopes@yahoo.com.br
Silvan Silva de Araújo: silvan.ssa@gmail.com
Anderson Carlos Marçal: acmarcal@yahoo.com.br
Charles dos Santos Estevam: cse.ufs@gmail.com
Abstract
In view of the high consumption and phytotherapic medicines
available on the market for use associated with exercise, from a
nutritional point of view, it is extremely important to prove the
safety of their use in order to avoid intoxication. In addition, the
application of medicinal and phytotherapic plants
associated with physical exercise presents another alternative resource
to improve performance and attenuate the harmful effects caused by
high-intensity exercise. Therefore, the adoption of physical exercises
associated with the ingestion of supplements from plants with medicinal
properties is suggested as important possibilities for health
maintenance and promotion, both in pathology and in physical
performance and in the mitigation of deleterious damages caused by
physiological stress associated with chronic diseases.
Keywords: physical exercise, medicinal plants, supplementation, health promotion.
Resumo
Diante
do elevado consumo e dos diversificados fitoterápicos
disponíveis no mercado para uso associado ao exercício,
é extremamente importante, sob o ponto de vista nutricional, a
comprovação de seu uso para que não ocorra
intoxicação. Além disso, a aplicação
das plantas medicinais e fitoterápicas associada ao
exercício físico apresenta mais um recurso alternativo na
melhora da performance e na atenuação de efeitos
deletérios causados pelo exercício de alta intensidade.
Portanto, sugerimos a adoção de exercícios
físicos associados a ingestão de suplementos oriundos de
plantas com propriedades medicinais como possibilidades importantes
para a manutenção e promoção da
saúde, tanto na patologia como no desempenho físico e na
atenuação de danos deletérios causados pelo
estresse fisiológico associados às doenças
crônicas.
Palavras-chave: exercício físico, plantas medicinais, suplementação, promoção da saúde.
Currently,
the world population has growing interest in the adoption of healthy
habits that can improve quality of life and health. Among them, the
practice of physical exercises and the use of plant supplements with
medicinal properties stand out [1].
Merino et al.
[2] emphasize that natural antioxidants, such as flavonoids, act
directly and / or indirectly in the neutralization and / or scavenging
of free radicals. In this context, flavonoids found in several
medicinal plants have a variety of biological activities such as
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, suggesting that these compounds have
beneficial effects on molecular pathways involved in the genesis and/or
maintenance of oxidative stress in physiological conditions in
physically active individuals, even in post-exercise and / or
pathological conditions [1,3-5].
In
addition to the use of medicinal plants for health maintenance,
physical exercise is considered an important factor in promoting
well-being and mitigating the incidence of comorbidities. However, it
is widely discussed that the intensity and regularity of exercises may
contribute to the appearance of extreme tiredness, oxidative stress,
immunosuppression and muscle damage [6-12]. Muscle damage is partly due
to increased oxygen uptake during physical exercises to maintain
metabolism during cellular respiration. Therefore, exacerbated
production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may occur [13]. The
imbalance caused by the increase in ROS production and the decreased
and/or insufficient activity of the antioxidant system of cells is
called oxidative stress, a condition that can lead to the oxidation of
cellular and tissue components, involving some pathophysiological
states such as aging, inflammatory processes, cancer, cardiovascular
and neurodegenerative diseases [13-15].
Thus,
new strategies have been developed in the field of physical exercise to
minimize hormesis, among which the use of antioxidants such as vitamins
C, E and phytochemicals, such as polyphenols present in fruits and
vegetables and/or teas [6-16].
The
use of supplements from some plant extracts can be beneficial when
associated with physical exercise to reduce oxidative stress, muscle
damage and type 1 diabetes mellitus. As an example, in a study carried
out by our research group, it was observed that type 1 diabetic rats
supplemented with Coutoubea spicata (known
as Nicolao) and concomitantly submitted to resistance exercise during
four weeks of resistance training (3 sessions per week) presented
attenuation of blood glucose levels and oxidative stress induced by the
disease [17]. These results suggest that this plant could be a
potential alternative for the development of phytotherapic medicines and products for the treatment of diabetes mellitus concomitant with physical exercises.
Similar results were found by Baldissera et al. [18] with rats supplemented with Syzygium cumini extract (known as Jambolão);
however, with 8-week aerobic training with diabetic rats, the extract
of this medicinal plant showed hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and
protective properties against oxidative stress. In addition, in another
study of our group using supplementation with Jambolão for
21 consecutive days in experimental models submitted to high-intensity
interval physical exercise, reduction in oxidative stress caused by
high-intensity physical training was observed [19].
In study carried out by our research group, rats submitted to acute resistance exercise session and supplemented with Croton argyrophyllus (popularly known as Marmeleiro Branco)
showed significantly inhibition in the generation of free radicals and
partial reduction of oxidative stress markers and muscle damage,
suggesting that this supplement may be a possible adjuvant in the
recovery process after extensive exhausting efforts [20]. Likewise, in
another study by our research group that performed 4-week
high-intensity resistance training with rats supplemented with Bowdichia virgilioides (known as Sucupira Preta),
reduction in the concentration of oxidative stress and muscle damage
markers was observed when compared to control group (submitted to
training only) [21]. Clinical trials have indicated that the practice
of high-intensity physical exercise concomitant with acute or regular
intake of some foods rich in polyphenols such as flavonoids, tannins
and lignans can prevent or even reduce possible cellular damage such as
oxidative stress caused by the increase in ROS production [22-24].
Other benefits of using phytotherapic medicines in physical exercise programs are gains in resistance in endurance and strength exercises [22].
Finally, despite the acute and chronic benefits from phytotherapic medicines
associated with physical exercises presented here, they should be
prescribed by qualified professionals. Such benefits can be superseded
by the adverse reactions of self-ingestion without proper guidance,
which may even cause intoxications. The idea is that physical exercise
programs aimed at sportsmen could count on the participation of
nutritionists with deep knowledge on the application of these phytotherapic medicines.
Likewise, undergraduate and graduate courses in nutrition should
include Exercise Physiology discipline for a deeper understanding of
the effects of physical exercise on the physiology of different
systems. This symbiosis, if well planned and executed, can benefit
everyone involved with the practice of physical exercises.
Academic link
This article is part of the Thesis of Lúcio Marques Vieira Souza, supervised by Dr. Charles dos Santos Estevam, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS).
Potential conflict of interest
There is no conflict of interest.
Authors' Contributions
Study
conception and design: Vieira Souza LM. Writing of the manuscript:
Vieira Souza LM, Dos Santos JL, De Araújo SS. Critical review of
the manuscript regarding the important intellectual content: Marçal AC, Estevam CS.