Objective To investigate the effects of tangeritine on morphological indices and exercise capacity-related indicators in female combat athletes, so as to evaluate the intervention effect of tangeritine on simulated pre-competition weight loss in female combat athletes.
Methods Thirty female combat athletes (wrestling 4, boxing 3, sanda 9, judo 3, taekwondo 11) were recruited, and a paired, randomized, double-blind experimental design was adopted in this study. All participants were paired one-by-one according to their sports events and competition levels firstly, then randomly divided into either a tangeritine group or a placebo group, with 15 participants in each group. Double-blind nutritional intervention, dietary questionnaire surveys, blood sample collection and analysis, body composition testing, isokinetic muscle strength testing, and aerobic capacity testing were used to explore the effects of 30-day tangeritine intervention (400 mg/day) on athletes’ body composition (body fat percentage, fat mass, lean body mass, etc.), fat distribution (limb fat mass, Android fat mass, Gynoid fat mass, etc.), glycolipid metabolism (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, free fatty acid, etc.), hormone (cortisol, testosterone, etc.), muscle strength (flexor-extensor peak torque at the hip, knee and ankle joints, etc.), and maximal oxygen uptake and its derived indices (heart rate at maximal oxygen uptake, time to exhaustion, etc.). Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used for statistical testing.
Results 1) 80% of athletes in the tangeritine group got weight loss, and 40% of athletes (n=6) achieved the competition weight level; 2) the body fat percentage of the tangeritine group was decreased from 23.57 ± 4.72% to 22.53 ± 4.92%. Fat mass in the trunk, upper limbs, lower limbs, and Android area were decreased by 5.11%, 8.94%, 6.32%, and 7.23%, respectively; 3) the high-density liptein cholesterol level in the tangeritine group was increased by 8.86% (P = 0.023), while triglyceride and free fatty acid were decreased by 24.01% (P = 0.048) and 18.91% (P = 0.007), respectively; 4) the peak torque of hip, knee, and ankle joint flexion/extension in the tangeritine group were significantly increased. The maximal oxygen uptake value was increased from 44.20 ± 4.46 mL/min/kg to 46.53 ±5.68 mL/min/kg (P = 0.008), and the time to exhaustion value was prolonged by 7.74% (P = 0.049).
Conclusions Tangeritine intervention effectively reduced body weight and decreased fat mass in the whole body and different anatomical regions in female combat athletes. Meanwhile, tangeritine was significantly improved athletes’ aerobic exercise capacity and lower limb joint muscle strength, which may positively impact their competition performance and competitive status.
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