Endurox Excel, Ciwujia Ingredient

I’m currently trying a new supplement called Endurox Excel. It’s main ingredient is Ciwujia and Vitamin E. I primarily trying it because the supplement promise to increase my cardio workout, better recovery, build endurance, raise lactate threshold and increases cardiac efficiency (aka heart)

Well what does the above all means? Well if you’re a distance runner or those playing games for a long period of time, you’ll need this! As for me, I do cardio plus the very mention of raise lactate threshold interest immediately as it will reduce the lactic level buildup in my 400m event

I’m still trying it

Of course, I’m still experimenting with this and will take months to see the result. Each person’s body has their own unique response to supplements. What might work on others, might not work on me. I’ll keep you posted on my Endurox Excel intake

The main ingredient in Endurox Excel is the Chinese herb Ciwujia, which grows in the swampy, spruce-fir taiga of northern China. Remember Ma’s army where ordinary working China woman was transformed into world class runner by coach Ma Junren’s herbal ‘caterpillar-fungus’ concoction. Well the fact that ciwujia is a Chinese herbal preparation makes it exciting to many athletes

Ciwujia background

Although the plant has not found its way into the pharmacopoeia of Western medicine just yet, it has been used continuously in traditional Chinese medicine for about 1700 years. In China, the root of ciwujia is often prescribed as a ‘tonic’ to reduce fatigue and boost energy levels.

Ciwujia is also used to treat diseases involving pain and inflammation of the muscles, connective tissues, and joints, including rheumatoid arthritis, and many Chinese medical practitioners believe the plant has prophylactic properties for such serious disorders as bronchitis, high blood pressure, and ischaemic heart disease (in which heart muscle receives an inadequate supply of blood and oxygen). In China, there is also a widespread belief that ciwujia can enhance immune-system activity.

Chemical analysis of ciwujia’s ingredients has led to the isolation of eight ‘saponins’ commonly found in the plant. No need to review your biochemistry right now: saponins are simply compounds formed of sugar and ‘something else’, with the ‘something else’ often turning out to be a steroid compound. Hahaha yes steroid. As you know, steroids are chemicals involved in key physiological processes within the body, including those reactions which build and repair tissues. Thus, if ciwujia can indeed produce positive physiological changes in humans, it’s likely that the saponins will be the responsible parties.

So should I try ciwujia

However, before you get too excited about ciwujia’s potential puissance, bear in mind that this Japanese work was an ‘in vitro’ study, eg, one carried out with isolated cell cultures in a laboratory – not in actual living organisms.

It’s important to remember that many chemicals that work very well in in vitro studies often turn out to be poor performers when they are tested in humans or other live animals, because the biochemical environment in which the compounds are asked to perform is totally different in a complex living system

So what’s the final take on ciwujia?

Nonetheless, interest in ciwujia has remained high, partially thanks to anecdotal reports from mountain climbers, who have used ciwujia root to heighten vigour and withstand the debilitating effects of low oxygen pressures during high-altitude Himalayan climbs (these adventurers commonly chewed about an ounce of the raw herb per day).

Investigative efforts carried out by Chinese scientists have suggested that ciwujia might increase the oxygenation of heart muscle and help laboratory animals survive low-oxygen conditions for longer periods of time.

Is Endurox (ciwujia) actually worth buying?

Well, despite the fact that fine American athletes such as Jeff Galloway and Frank Shorter have offered glowing reports on the product, I don’t recommend that you purchase Endurox at this time. I’ll put up a review of the product again in a few weeks time after trying it out

A scientific study recently on ciwujia

Effect of Ciwujia (Radix Acanthopanacis senticosus) preparation on exercise performance under constant endurance load for elderly

By Wu Y, Wang X, Li M, Compbell TC.

Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing 100050, China.

The effect of Ciwujia (Radix Acanthopanacis senticosus) preparation on human exercise performance was investigated by using 13 healthy volunteers aged 50-57.

Under constant endurance load with 450 kg.m/min (75 W), the respiratory quotient after taking Ciwujia preparation was reduced to 0.88 from 0.96, which implied that the utilization of lipid increased with 27.2% as energy fuel during exercise.

Meanwhile, the heart rate was reduced with 8.7%, and O2 uptake per heart beat increased with 16.18%.

All results indicated that the Ciwujia preparation could increase O2 uptake, spare the glycogen in muscle and improve the exercise endurance and work performance in human subjects.