A decrease in muscle mass with aging and illness is a well-known fact. Sadly, losing muscle mass increases the risk of frequently falling sick. Also, losing muscle increases the risk of various diseases such as pneumonia, infections, and diabetes. On the other hand, researchers have studied that the more muscle mass you have, the longer you can live. It is because muscles are not only the locomotor role that moves the body but are closely related to the whole body’s organs as living organs.
You can imagine the role of maintaining posture and movement as skeletal muscle. Yet, it is also involved in the activity of internal organs such as the digestive tract and blood vessels. So in this blog, I would like to discuss improving muscles with Fucoidan based on the study “Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice” by Sally E. McBean et al.
First, it was to investigate Fucoidan’s effect on mice’s skeletal muscle. Male BL / 6 mice (N = 8-10) received fresh fucoidan blend (FUC, 400 mg / kg / day) or vehicle (CON) for 4 weeks.
The treatment group and the control experiment group were further divided into an exercise group (CON + EX, FUC + EX) or a non-exercise group (CON, FUC). The exercise group received 30 minutes of treadmill training three times a week. At the end of the 4-week treatment period, the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the Extensor Digitorum Longus (EDL) and soleus muscle fibers treated with Fucoidan increased significantly. It was accompanied by a significant increase in tibialis anterior (TA) muscle strength production in the fucoidan-treated group. (See Figure. 1)
There was no significant change in grip strength or time to treadmill fatigue. Also, there was no effect of Fucoidan or exercise on TA, EDL, or soleus muscle mass. In skeletal muscle, there was no change in mRNA expression in mitochondrial biosynthesis markers PGC-1α and Nrf-2 in any experimental group.
Fucoidan supplementation had shown a significant effect on myosin heavy chain (MHC) -2x. However, it was not noticed on MHC-2a, mRNA expression. (See Figure. 2) Positively, Fucoidan increases muscle size and strength after four weeks of supplementation in both exercising and non-exercising mice, suggesting a crucial result of Fucoidan on skeletal muscle physiology.
The results of this fucoidan-based study have shown a positive effect on skeletal muscle function. They need further investigation into its use as a dietary supplement for exercise and athletic performanc
Cancer cachexia is a condition of muscle wasting that has received much attention. Cancerous effusion is a progressive loss of muscle mass that contributes to the patient’s response to chemotherapy and is believed to cause 20% of all cancer deaths.
Recent studies have demonstrated that including the marine brown alga Sargassum hemiphyllum in a chemotherapeutic cocktail reduces gastrocnemius and soleus muscle atrophy.
The results show that Fucoidan improved fast-twitch muscle strength and increased fast as well as slow-twitch muscle types of fiber CSA.
The studies highlight Fucoidan’s potential in sports supplements and the musculoskeletal pathology that may improve overall muscle health and performance.
