The understanding by man that plants provide medical effects can be traced back to the earliest recorded history. Ever since civilisation began to catalogue the beneficial properties of certain plants, high regard has been paid to those plants that provide the user with increases in physical performance. Ginseng is one such plant that is highly regarded by traditional medicine for its performance enhancing effects. Ginseng is named after the Chinese words ‘jen shen’, which translates as man plant, because the root of the plant resembles the body of a man. Based on the Doctrine of Signatures it was therefore thought that ginseng could act on the whole body. Indeed, ginseng is promoted for its ability to alleviate a multitude of ailments including diabetes, aging, muscle weakness as well as being a general tonic to prevent chronic stress.
Ginseng has a reputation amongst athletes as an ergogenic aid because it has been shown to have a biological effect in humans that may result in improved strength and stamina. Its ability to decrease the effects of stress have resulted in the classification of ginseng as an adaptogen. Ancient Chinese medicine recommends ginseng for exactly this purpose, where it is associated with physical performance and vigour, and these effects were described by Confucius in 500 BC. Ginseng almost became extinct in North American because it was so widely sought for its benefits, and in 1979 it was estimated there were 5 to 6 million ginseng users in America. The results from studies looking at the beneficial effects of ginseng have shown mixed results, but some evidence does suggest that the effects of ginseng described by traditional medicine are real and measurable.
The chemicals in ginseng that are thought to be responsible for this action are called ginsenosides. Ginsenosides belong to a group of plant sterols called triterpenoid saponins. At least 13 ginseng saponin glycosides are known to be present in ginseng and these chemicals resemble the cyclopentanophenanthrene ring structure seen in steroid hormones produced in humans. This similarity may explain some of the effects and gives clues to the biological action of ginseng. Interestingly, another plant associated with athletic performance and as an aphrodisiac in the herb Tribulus terrestris. Tribulus is also known to contain saponins, but of a different class to those in ginseng. Tribulus contains both furostanol and spirostanol saponins that belong to the steroidal class of saponins and these may be responsible for its beneficial effects. Tribulus terrestris has a historical use amongst Eastern European athletes.
Studies show that garlic is protective of a number of diseases most notably cardiovascular disease. But, garlic is not often considered when discussing athletic performance and improvements in physical condition. However, historical records show that garlic has traditionally been used as a food for soldiers, sailors and slaves to maintain strength and stamina during hard labour, mainly being associated with the working classes. The use of garlic as such can be traced back to the Egyptian, Roman and Greek empires. Garlic was also widely used as an aid to physical stamina by the Chinese and Ayuvedic medicinal systems that go back thousands of years. Garlic is a good source of steroidal saponins similar to those present in Tribulus and so it is no surprise that it possesses some of the same beneficial effects on human performance.
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