With this post, I am adding a new feature to this blog: posts adapted from Chinese media that I believe have long-term value. This is taken from China Food News of 10-4-2024.

A supplement marketed for people who keep working late at night; combing iron and b-vitamins

Good food makes you feel good and should therefore always alleviate fatigue to a certain extent. However, in the world of functional foods, anti-fatigue food is one of major categories in China. This article summarises current thinking about fighting fatigue through nutrition in China. It offers insight in what aspects are regarded important in China and in what ways Chinese food scientists are formulating these foods and drinks.

Types of fatigue

Fatigue is mainly divided into motoric fatigue and chronic fatigue. Motoric fatigue is a phenomenon caused by the temporary decline of the body’s function caused by exercise or hard work, which can be alleviated by supplementing amino acids, traditional Chinese medicine or vitamin-like functional foods. Chronic fatigue will not be alleviated by supplementing the body’s function and rest, but is accompanied by sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain, lack of concentration and failing memory. Symptoms such as decreased strength, repeated attacks, long duration, high incidence. The cause of the ailment is not clear, but it can be related to exercise fatigue.

Also see the post on the increasing habit of working through the night among young Chinese.

Overview of fatigue

According to the definition proposed by sports biochemists at the 1982 International Sports Biochemistry Academic Conference (5th), fatigue is the decrease or interruption of the physiological supply of the body and the inability to maintain or reach the expected intensity of action. So far, there are different opinions on the mechanism of motoric fatigue, and there is no very specific and accurate theory to confirm its cause. At present, there are mainly nine explanation, namely: free radical theory, mutation theory, protective inhibition theory, ion metabolism disorder theory, immune disfunction theory, endocrine mediation disorder theory, metabolite accumulation theory and energy exhaustion theory. Fatigue is actually a protective reaction of the body, to avoid life-threatening failure of the body’s functions, thus reminding athletes or workers to reduce the intensity of exercise and work to prevent damage to the body.

Pace of life

The pace of modern life is getting faster and faster. In recent years, people’s fatigue has continued to increase. The number of people with exercise fatigue is large, and the incidence of chronic fatigue is gradually increasing. Therefore, timely alleviation of exercise fatigue and attention to food therapy and health care are of great significance for the prevention of chronic fatigue. This article reports on the analysis of functional foods and ingredients that relieve exercise fatigue, hoping to analyse the characteristics and benefits of functional foods and improve people’s quality of life.

Vitamins

Enzyme systems and non-enzyme systems in the body can remove free radicals. In the enzyme system, GPX (glutathione hydrogenase) can remove lipid peroxides, SOD (superoxide dismutase) can remove peroxides and superoxide free radicals, and CAT (catalase) can remove hydrogen peroxide; non-enzyme systems include coenzyme Q, reduced glutathione, β-carotene, and vitamins C and vitamin E, etc. A variety of antioxidants in the cells of the body maintain a relatively balanced level, reduce the oxidative stress in the body, and remove large molecules such as free radicals, proteins, nuclear fermentation and protective lipids in time to protect the body from the attack by free radicals. Therefore, supplementing the body with vitamins can effectively relieve fatigue.

The more common vitamins with an anti-fatigue function are: vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin B.

• Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which can act on cell membranes and subcellular structural membranes to prevent free radicals from oxidising unsaturated fatty acids in biological membranes;
• Vitamin C can not only provide the body with hydrogen atoms, but also help the body remove free radicals and convert oxidised glutathione into a reduced glutathione;
• Vitamin A can improve the body’s antioxidant status, inhibit the production of oxygen free radicals during exercise, reduce the body’s oxidative stress damage, delay the body’s fatigue, and thus improve the body’s ability to exercise;
• Vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 in the vitamin B group have anti-fatigue effects. Under vitamin B1 deficiency, the body will accumulate a large amount of lactic acid and pyruvate. Vitamin B2 in the body can participate in the oxidation and energy generation as a coenzyme in the trihydroxy acid cycle.

Amino acids

Insufficient amino acids will lead to a shortage of raw materials for the synthesis of antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes, thus increasing free radicals. For example, fat oxidation is mitochondrial oxidation of carnitine with fatty acids as the carrier. Carnitine is mainly produced in the metabolic process of methionine and lysine. It can promote the oxidation of amino acids in the two keto acid branched chain and remove excess fatty acyl CoA. When you are tired, urination will excrete a large amount of botulinum toxin and seriously weaken the body’s ability to oxidise and utilise fatty acids, resulting in fatigue. Therefore, supplementing the human body with amino acids can effectively eliminate fatigue. Also see the post on creatine in this blog.

Trace elements

Magnesium is commonly found in a variety of foods, such as fish, meat, fruits, green vegetables and peas. If people are partial or picky about food, do not like fish or meat, love a certain kind of fruit or meat, or rarely eat fruits and green vegetables, this can lead to magnesium deficiency, which will lead to fatigue. Therefore, the supplementation of magnesium is of great significance to the finicky eater.

Protein

Protein is an indispensable part of functional food and an important source of nutrition for the human body. Protein deficiency will affect the physiological regulation of the body and cause fatigue. There are many foods containing protein, such as animal protein in fish, shrimp, eggs, milk, poultry and animal meat; vegetable protein like beans, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

There are many anti-fatigue medicinal materials in traditional Chinese medicine, such as barrenwort, pollen, ginkgo, aloe vera, gynostemma and golden root.

• Barrenwort contains a large amount of MDA that can increase the SOD activity of red blood cells; pollen contains amino acids, proteins, trace elements and vitamins.
• Ginkgo leaves contain diterpenolactone and flavonosides, which can remove free radicals, strengthen hypoxia resistance and improve heart and brain metabolism.
• Aloe vera contains flavonoid antioxidants, a variety of amino acids and vitamins, and has a strong antioxidant ability.
• Gynostemma has a wide range of pharmacological effects. The saponins it contains can improve free radical metabolism and delay the occurrence of fatigue.
• Golden root contains muscle glycogen, which can improve the body’s tolerance to hypoxia.

Also read the post on sea cucumbers in this blog.

Concluding remarks

China has a rich and long history of food therapy and health care culture. The combination of functional food and diet therapy has unique advantages in the development of functional foods. The combination of TCM with western ingredients like vitamins, trace elements, etc, can lead to a wide range of innovative foods.

Peter Peverelli is active in and with China since 1975 and regularly travels to the remotest corners of that vast nation. He is a co-author of a major book introducing the cultural drivers behind China’s economic success. Peter has been involved with the Chinese food and beverage industries since 1985.