BackgroundEnhancing athletic performance is a great desire among the athletes, coaches and researchers. Mint is one of the most famous natural herbs used for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antioxidant, and vasoconstrictor effects. Even though inhaling mint aroma in athletes has been investigated, there were no significant effects on the exercise performance.MethodsTwelve healthy male students every day consumed one 500 ml bottle of mineral water, containing 0.05 ml peppermint essential oil for ten days. Blood pressure, heart rate, and spirometry parameters including forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEF), and peak inspiratory flow (PIF) were determined one day before, and after the supplementation period. Participants underwent a treadmill-based exercise test with metabolic gas analysis and ventilation measurement using the Bruce protocol.ResultsThe FVC (4.57 ± 0.90 vs. 4.79 ± 0.84; p < 0.001), PEF (8.50 ± 0.94 vs. 8.87 ± 0.92; p < 0.01), and PIF (5.71 ± 1.16 vs. 6.58 ±1.08; p < 0.005) significantly changed after ten days of supplementation. Exercise performance evaluated by time to exhaustion (664.5 ± 114.2 vs. 830.2 ± 129.8 s), work (78.34 ±32.84 vs. 118.7 ± 47.38 KJ), and power (114.3 ± 24.24 vs. 139.4 ± 27.80 KW) significantly increased (p < 0.001). In addition, the results of respiratory gas analysis exhibited significant differences in VO2 (2.74 ± 0.40 vs. 3.03 ± 0.351 L/min; p < 0.001), and VCO2 (3.08 ± 0.47 vs. 3.73 ± 0.518 L/min; p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe results of the experiment support the effectiveness of peppermint essential oil on the exercise performance, gas analysis, spirometry parameters, blood pressure, and respiratory rate in the young male students. Relaxation of bronchial smooth muscles, increase in the ventilation and brain oxygen concentration, and decrease in the blood lactate level are the most plausible explanations.

The saffron can be used to prevent DOMS and alleviate the DOMS symptoms.

Application of Novel Inertial Technique to Compare the Kinematics and Kinetics of the Legs in the Soccer Instep Kick The kinematic and kinetic parameters of dominant and non-dominant legs examined with a new technology on 15 male, university soccer players in the field. A sensor module with special configuration of accelerometers placement, connected to a data logger, which attached to the shank and thigh, was applied to execute four instep kicks in the field. The angular velocity, linear velocity, angular acceleration and Z-axis linear acceleration (p<0.005) of the shank in dominant and non-dominant leg before impact were: 1970 ± 210, 1648 ± 300 °/s; 14.9 ± 3.0, 12.4 ± 2.6 m/s; 586.4 ± 121.9, 498.2 ± 160.4 rad/s2; 5.7 ± 1.7 and 4.0 ± 0.9 gravity, respectively. The leg swing time, force (X) (p<0.001), torque, angular momentum, angular power and angular impulse (p<0.05) of the shank, for dominant and non-dominant leg, before impact were: 271 ± 48 vs. 263 ± 62 msec; 172.4 ± 46.6 vs. 68.7 ± 47.1 N; 133.2 ± 29.8 vs. 111.8 ± 34.9 N.m.; 5.3 ± 1.1 vs. 4.1 ± 1.0 kg.m2/s; 2443 ± 666 vs. 1660 ± 790.1 W; 4.0 ± 0.9 vs. 3.3 ± 1.2 N.s., respectively. Even though there was lower shank angular velocity of the dominant leg compared with reported professional players, similar shape and gradient of the kicking pattern were found in the curves.

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