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1.
Involvement of microRNA164 in responses to heat stress in Arabidopsis.
Tsai, WA, Sung, PH, Kuo, YW, Chen, MC, Jeng, ST, Lin, JS
Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology. 2023;:111598
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are considered to be integral parts of plant stress regulatory networks. Under long-term heat stress, miR164 is induced. Conversely, its targets are repressed. Transgenic overexpressors (164OE) and mutants of MIR164 (mir164) were used to study miR164's functions during heat responses. Target gene expression decreased in 164OE transgenic plants and increased in mir164a-4 and mir164b mutants. Under heat stress, the mir164 mutants presented heat-sensitive phenotypes, while 164OE transgenic plants showed better thermotolerance than wild-type (WT) plants. Overexpression of miR164 decreased heat-inhibition of hypocotyl lengths. Under heat stress, miR164 target genes modulated the expression of chlorophyll b reductase and chlorophyll catabolic genes, reducing the chlorophyll a/b ratio. More H2O2 accumulated in the mir164 mutants under heat stress, which may have caused oxidative damage. In addition, expression of HSPs was altered in the experimental plants compared to that of the WT. Overall, miR164 influenced target gene expression, altering development, chlorophyll a/b ratio, H2O2-caused damage, and HSPs expression under long-term heat stress. These phenomena, in turn, likely influence the thermotolerance of plants.
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2.
Effects of Synbiotic Supplementation on Metabolic Syndrome Traits and Gut Microbial Profile among Overweight and Obese Hong Kong Chinese Individuals: A Randomized Trial.
Lauw, S, Kei, N, Chan, PL, Yau, TK, Ma, KL, Szeto, CYY, Lin, JS, Wong, SH, Cheung, PCK, Kwan, HS
Nutrients. 2023;15(19)
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Obesity is a growing issue in Hong Kong, possibility due to changing diets in recent years and a more sedentary lifestyle. The use of diet and exercise programmes have shown limited long-term effects and so other strategies need to be researched. Gut microbiota dysbiosis has emerged as a possible causative factor in the development of obesity due to its involvement in metabolism. Therefore, targeting the gut microbiota may be of benefit to individuals with obesity. This randomised control trial aimed to determine the changes in gut microbiota functions involved in the development of obesity after an 8-week dietary intervention involving increased fruit and vegetable consumption and synbiotics in individuals from Hong Kong. The participants were split into 3 groups; synbiotic only, diet only, and a combination of the two. The results showed that a combination of diet and synbiotic use had the greatest benefit for weight loss, measures of blood sugar, and blood lipids compared to baseline values. Synbiotic use also decreased Megamonas, which is a gut microbiota strain associated with increased body weight. It was concluded that a combination of increased fibre in the diet and synbiotic supplementation is more effective than either therapy alone. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand that diets high in fibre in combination with gut microbiota support may be of benefit to individuals with obesity. However further research would be needed to determine if this effect is restricted to this cohort of individuals.
Abstract
In view of the limited evidence showing anti-obesity effects of synbiotics via modulation of the gut microbiota in humans, a randomized clinical trial was performed. Assessment of the metabolic syndrome traits and profiling of the fecal gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing in overweight and obese Hong Kong Chinese individuals before and after dietary intervention with an 8-week increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and/or synbiotic supplementation was conducted. The selected synbiotic contained two probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis HN019) and a prebiotic (polydextrose). Fifty-five overweight or obese individuals were randomized and divided into a synbiotic group (SG; n = 19), a dietary intervention group (DG; n = 18), and a group receiving combined interventions (DSG; n = 18). DSG showed the greatest weight loss effects and number of significant differences in clinical parameters compared to its baseline values-notably, decreases in fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and triglycerides and an increase in HDL-cholesterol. DSG lowered Megamonas abundance, which was positively associated with BMI, body fat mass, and trunk fat mass. The results suggested that increasing dietary fiber consumption from fruits and vegetables combined with synbiotic supplementation is more effective than either approach alone in tackling obesity.
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A technology-enabled multi-disciplinary team-based care model for the management of Long COVID and other fatiguing illnesses within a federally qualified health center: protocol for a two-arm, single-blind, pragmatic, quality improvement professional cluster randomized controlled trial.
Godino, JG, Samaniego, JC, Sharp, SP, Taren, D, Zuber, A, Armistad, AJ, Dezan, AM, Leyba, AJ, Friedly, JL, Bunnell, AE, et al
Trials. 2023;(1):524
Abstract
BACKGROUND The clinical burden of Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and other post-infectious fatiguing illnesses (PIFI) is increasing. There is a critical need to advance understanding of the effectiveness and sustainability of innovative approaches to clinical care of patients having these conditions. METHODS We aim to assess the effectiveness of a Long COVID and Fatiguing Illness Recovery Program (LC&FIRP) in a two-arm, single-blind, pragmatic, quality improvement, professional cluster, randomized controlled trial in which 20 consenting clinicians across primary care clinics in a Federally Qualified Health Center system in San Diego, CA, will be randomized at a ratio of 1:1 to either participate in (1) weekly multi-disciplinary team-based case consultation and peer-to-peer sharing of emerging best practices (i.e., teleECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes)) with monthly interactive webinars and quarterly short courses or (2) monthly interactive webinars and quarterly short courses alone (a control group); 856 patients will be assigned to participating clinicians (42 patients per clinician). Patient outcomes will be evaluated according to the study arm of their respective clinicians. Quantitative and qualitative outcomes will be measured at 3- and 6-months post-baseline for clinicians and every 3-months post assignment to a participating clinician for patients. The primary patient outcome is change in physical function measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29. Analyses of differences in outcomes at both the patient and clinician levels will include a linear mixed model to compare change in outcomes from baseline to each post-baseline assessment between the randomized study arms. A concurrent prospective cohort study will compare the LC&FIRP patient population to the population enrolled in a university health system. Longitudinal data analysis approaches will allow us to examine differences in outcomes between cohorts. DISCUSSION We hypothesize that weekly teleECHO sessions with monthly interactive webinars and quarterly short courses will significantly improve clinician- and patient-level outcomes compared to the control group. This study will provide much needed evidence on the effectiveness of a technology-enabled multi-disciplinary team-based care model for the management of Long COVID, ME/CFS, and other PIFI within a federally qualified health center. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05167227 . Registered on December 22, 2021.
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Review: Defense responses in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) against biotic stress.
Chen, SP, Kuo, YW, Lin, JS
Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology. 2023;:111893
Abstract
Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is regarded as amongst the world's most important crops for food, vegetable, forage, and raw material for starch and alcohol production. Since pest attack and disease infection are the main limiting aspects frequently causing the yield loss and quality degradation of sweetpotato, it is a great demand to develop the effective defense strategies for maintaining productivity. In the past decade, many studies have focused on dynamic analysis at the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of sweetpotatoes to environmental challenges. This review offers an overview of the defense mechanisms against biotic stresses in sweetpotato observed so far, particularly insect herbivory and pathogen infections. The defenses of sweetpotato include the regulation of the toxic and anti-digestive proteins, plant-derived compounds, physical barrier formation, and sugar distribution. Ipomoelin and sporamin have been extensively researched for the defense against herbivore wounding. Herbivory-induced plant volatiles, chlorogenic acid, and latex phytochemicals play important roles in defenses for insect herbivory. Induction of IbSWEET10 reduces sugar content to mediate F. oxysporum resistance. Therefore, these researches provide the genetic strategies for improving resistance bioengineering and breeding of sweetpotato crops and future prospects for research in this field.
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Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
O'Connor, EA, Evans, CV, Ivlev, I, Rushkin, MC, Thomas, RG, Martin, A, Lin, JS
JAMA. 2022;(23):2334-2347
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the 2 leading causes of death in the US, and vitamin and mineral supplementation has been proposed to help prevent these conditions. OBJECTIVE To review the benefits and harms of vitamin and mineral supplementation in healthy adults to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, PubMed (publisher-supplied records only), Cochrane Library, and Embase (January 2013 to February 1, 2022); prior reviews. STUDY SELECTION English-language randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of vitamin or mineral use among adults without cardiovascular disease or cancer and with no known vitamin or mineral deficiencies; observational cohort studies examining serious harms. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Single extraction, verified by a second reviewer. Quantitative pooling methods appropriate for rare events were used for most analyses. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mortality, cardiovascular disease events, cancer incidence, serious harms. RESULTS Eighty-four studies (N=739 803) were included. In pooled analyses, multivitamin use was significantly associated with a lower incidence of any cancer (odds ratio [OR], 0.93 [95% CI, 0.87-0.99]; 4 RCTs [n=48 859]; absolute risk difference [ARD] range among adequately powered trials, -0.2% to -1.2%) and lung cancer (OR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.58-0.95]; 2 RCTs [n=36 052]; ARD, 0.2%). However, the evidence for multivitamins had important limitations. Beta carotene (with or without vitamin A) was significantly associated with an increased risk of lung cancer (OR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.01-1.42]; 4 RCTs [n=94 830]; ARD range, -0.1% to 0.6%) and cardiovascular mortality (OR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.02-1.19]; 5 RCTs [n=94 506] ARD range, -0.8% to 0.8%). Vitamin D use was not significantly associated with all-cause mortality (OR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.91-1.02]; 27 RCTs [n=117 082]), cardiovascular disease (eg, composite cardiovascular disease event outcome: OR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.95-1.05]; 7 RCTs [n=74 925]), or cancer outcomes (eg, any cancer incidence: OR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.92-1.03]; 19 RCTs [n=86 899]). Vitamin E was not significantly associated with all-cause mortality (OR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.97-1.07]; 9 RCTs [n=107 772]), cardiovascular disease events (OR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.90-1.04]; 4 RCTs [n=62 136]), or cancer incidence (OR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.98-1.08]; 5 RCTs [n=76 777]). Evidence for benefit of other supplements was equivocal, minimal, or absent. Limited evidence suggested some supplements may be associated with higher risk of serious harms (hip fracture [vitamin A], hemorrhagic stroke [vitamin E], and kidney stones [vitamin C, calcium]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Vitamin and mineral supplementation was associated with little or no benefit in preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and death, with the exception of a small benefit for cancer incidence with multivitamin use. Beta carotene was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and other harmful outcomes in persons at high risk of lung cancer.
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The Effect of Kefir Supplementation on Improving Human Endurance Exercise Performance and Antifatigue.
Lee, MC, Jhang, WL, Lee, CC, Kan, NW, Hsu, YJ, Ho, CS, Chang, CH, Cheng, YC, Lin, JS, Huang, CC
Metabolites. 2021;11(3)
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Compared to sedentary people, athletes exhibit a much more abundant and diverse composition of gut bacteria. Hence the relationship between gut microbes and energy usage and exercise performance has attracted much attention in recent years. Probiotics and prebiotic-related products have demonstrated the potential to enhance metabolic pathways and influence energy levels, energy consumption and exercise performance. And previous studies demonstrated positive effects on exercise endurance associated with the consumption of kefir, a fermented dairy product containing Lactobacilli species as part of the microbial symbiosis. This study investigated whether kefir can promote changes in the gut microbiota, improve exercise endurance performance, and influences fatigue during and after exercise. The study enrolled sixteen, untrained 20–30-year-old for a double-blind crossover design study, supplementing with SYNKEFIR™ for 28 days whilst observing changes in metabolic markers, body composition, exercise endurance and faecal gut bacteria. In summary, supplementation with SYNKEFIR™ significantly improved exercise performance and reduced the production of lactic acid after exercise. In addition, kefir supplementation seemed to reduce fatigue and accelerated the recovery from fatigue after exercise, with a marked reduction in lactic acid production after exercise. Though kefir supplementation had no significant effect on other post-exercise fatigue biochemical indicators nor did it induce notable changes in gut bacteria composition. As SYNKEFIR™ is a starter culture isolated from traditional kefir it could be expected that other traditional kefir products would have similar effects. Kefir as a food product is suited to a wide range of people, and it could be considered part of a healthy diet plan for untrained individuals wishing to support their exercise performance.
Abstract
Kefir is an acidic, carbonated, and fermented dairy product produced by fermenting milk with kefir grains. The Lactobacillus species constitutes an important part of kefir grains. In a previous animal study, kefir effectively improved exercise performance and had anti-fatigue effects. The purpose of this research was to explore the benefits of applying kefir to improve exercise performance, reduce fatigue, and improve physiological adaptability in humans. The test used a double-blind crossover design and supplementation for 28 days. Sixteen 20-30 year-old subjects were divided into two groups in a balanced order according to each individual's initial maximal oxygen uptake and were assigned to receive a placebo (equal flavor, equal calories, 20 g/day) or SYNKEFIR™ (20 g/day) every morning. After the intervention, there were 28 days of wash-out, during which time the subjects did not receive further interventions. After supplementation with SYNKEFIR™, the exercise time to exhaustion was significantly greater than that before ingestion (p = 0.0001) and higher than that in the Placebo group by 1.29-fold (p = 0.0004). In addition, compared with the Placebo group, the SYNKEFIR™ administration group had significantly lower lactate levels in the exercise and recovery (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in the changes in the gut microbiota. Although no significant changes in body composition were found, SYNKEFIR™ did not cause adverse reactions or harm to the participants' bodies. In summary, 28 days of supplementation with SYNKEFIR™ significantly improved exercise performance, reduced the production of lactic acid after exercise, and accelerated recovery while also not causing any adverse reactions.
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Probing Electric Field Distributions in the Double Layer of a Single-Crystal Electrode with Angstrom Spatial Resolution using Raman Spectroscopy.
Wen, BY, Lin, JS, Zhang, YJ, Radjenovic, PM, Zhang, XG, Tian, ZQ, Li, JF
Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2020;(27):11698-11702
Abstract
The electrical double layer (EDL) is the extremely important interfacial region involved in many electrochemical reactions, and it is the subject of significant study in electrochemistry and surface science. However, the direct measurement of interfacial electric fields in the EDL is challenging. In this work, both electrochemical resonant Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations were used to study electric field distributions in the EDL of an atomically flat single-crystal Au(111) electrode with self-assembled monolayer molecular films. This was achieved using a series of redox-active molecules containing the 4,4'-bipyridinium moiety as a Raman marker that were located at different precisely controlled distances away from the electrode surface. It was found that the electric field and the dipole moment of the probe molecule both directly affected its Raman signal intensity, which in turn could be used to map the electric field distribution at the interface. Also, by variation of the electrolyte anion concentration, the Raman intensity was found to decrease when the electric field strength increased. Moreover, the distance between adjacent Raman markers was ∼2.1 Å. Thus, angstrom-level spatial resolution in the mapping of electric field distributions at the electrode-electrolyte interface was realized. These results directly evidence the EDL structure, bridging the gap between the theoretical and experimental understandings of the interface.
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Putative Probiotic Strains Isolated from Kefir Improve Gastrointestinal Health Parameters in Adults: a Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.
Wang, MC, Zaydi, AI, Lin, WH, Lin, JS, Liong, MT, Wu, JJ
Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins. 2020;(3):840-850
Abstract
The dairy products remain as the largest reservoir for isolation of probiotic microorganisms. While probiotics have been immensely reported to exert various health benefits, it is also a common notion that these health potentials are strain and host dependent, leading to the need of more human evidence based on specific strains, health targets, and populations. This randomized, single-blind, and placebo-controlled human study aimed to evaluate the potential benefits of putative probiotic strains isolated from kefir on gastrointestinal parameters in fifty-six healthy adults. The consumption of AB-kefir (Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. fermentum, L. helveticus, L. paracasei, L. rhamnosus, and Streptococcus thermophiles; total 10 log CFU/sachet) daily for 3 week reduced symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating (P = 0.014), and appetite (P = 0.041) in male subjects as compared to the control. Gut microbiota distribution profiles were shifted upon consumption of AB-kefir compared to baseline, where the abundance of bifidobacteria was increased in male subjects and maintained upon cessation of AB-kefir consumption. The consumption of AB-kefir also increased gastrointestinal abundance of total anaerobes (P = 0.038) and total bacterial (P = 0.049) in female subjects compared to the control after 3 weeks. Our results indicated that AB-kefir could potentially be developed as a natural strategy to improve gastrointestinal functions in adults.
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Behavioral Counseling to Promote a Healthy Diet and Physical Activity for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Adults With Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.
O'Connor, EA, Evans, CV, Rushkin, MC, Redmond, N, Lin, JS
JAMA. 2020;(20):2076-2094
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US, and poor diet and lack of physical activity are major factors contributing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE To review the benefits and harms of behavioral counseling interventions to improve diet and physical activity in adults with cardiovascular risk factors. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials through September 2019; literature surveillance through July 24, 2020. STUDY SELECTION English-language randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of behavioral counseling interventions to help people with elevated blood pressure or lipid levels improve their diet and increase physical activity. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Data were extracted from studies by one reviewer and checked by a second. Random-effects meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis were used. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Cardiovascular events, mortality, subjective well-being, cardiovascular risk factors, diet and physical activity measures (eg, minutes of physical activity, meeting physical activity recommendations), and harms. Interventions were categorized according to estimated contact time as low (≤30 minutes), medium (31-360 minutes), and high (>360 minutes). RESULTS Ninety-four RCTs were included (N = 52 174). Behavioral counseling interventions involved a median of 6 contact hours and 12 sessions over the course of 12 months and varied in format and dietary recommendations; only 5% addressed physical activity alone. Interventions were associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events (pooled relative risk, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.73-0.87]; 9 RCTs [n = 12 551]; I2 = 0%). Event rates were variable; in the largest trial (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea [PREDIMED]), 3.6% in the intervention groups experienced a cardiovascular event, compared with 4.4% in the control group. Behavioral counseling interventions were associated with small, statistically significant reductions in continuous measures of blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, fasting glucose levels, and adiposity at 12 to 24 months' follow-up. Measurement of diet and physical activity was heterogeneous, and evidence suggested small improvements in diet consistent with the intervention recommendation targets but mixed findings and a more limited evidence base for physical activity. Adverse events were rare, with generally no group differences in serious adverse events, any adverse events, hospitalizations, musculoskeletal injuries, or withdrawals due to adverse events. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Medium- and high-contact multisession behavioral counseling interventions to improve diet and increase physical activity for people with elevated blood pressure and lipid levels were effective in reducing cardiovascular events, blood pressure, low-density lipoproteins, and adiposity-related outcomes, with little to no risk of serious harm.
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10.
Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 on Exercise Physiological Adaptation, Performance, and Body Composition in Healthy Humans.
Huang, WC, Lee, MC, Lee, CC, Ng, KS, Hsu, YJ, Tsai, TY, Young, SL, Lin, JS, Huang, CC
Nutrients. 2019;11(11)
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Probiotics are widely used for health promotion. This study specifically looks at one strain of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 and its effects on physiology and body composition in 54 healthy participants (50/50 men and women), aged 20-30 years, none of which were professional athletes. The double-blind placebo-controlled experiment divided the participants into groups of placebo, low dose probiotics and high dose probiotics to determine the effects of probiotics on exercise performance over a 6 week period. During this time the participants were required to carry out a series of treadmill exercises and biometric exams including monitoring heart rate, oxygen consumption, body mass, and fatigue parameters measured in blood work (serum lactate, ammonia, glucose, creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and uric acid) for physiological adaption. The results showed that the probiotics elevated exercise performance and improved fatigue in a dose-dependent manner. They observed that muscle mass increased and fat mass decreased in the treatment groups compared to the placebo. As such they conclude that Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 has beneficial physiological effects to improve aerobic performance.
Abstract
Probiotics have been rapidly developed for health promotion, but clinical validation of the effects on exercise physiology has been limited. In a previous study, Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 (TWK10), isolated from Taiwanese pickled cabbage as a probiotic, was demonstrated to improve exercise performance in an animal model. Thus, in the current study, we attempted to further validate the physiological function and benefits through clinical trials for the purpose of translational research. The study was designed as a double-blind placebo-controlled experiment. A total of 54 healthy participants (27 men and 27 women) aged 20-30 years without professional athletic training were enrolled and randomly allocated to the placebo, low (3 × 1010 colony forming units (CFU)), and high dose (9 × 1010 CFU) TWK10 administration groups (n = 18 per group, with equal sexes). The functional and physiological assessments were conducted by exhaustive treadmill exercise measurements (85% VO2max), and related biochemical indices were measured before and after six weeks of administration. Fatigue-associated indices, including lactic acid, blood ammonia, blood glucose, and creatinine kinase, were continuously monitored during 30 min of exercise and a 90 min rest period using fixed intensity exercise challenges (60% VO2max) to understand the physiological adaptation. The systemic inflammation and body compositions were also acquired and analyzed during the experimental process. The results showed that TWK10 significantly elevated the exercise performance in a dose-dependent manner and improved the fatigue-associated features correlated with better physiological adaptation. The change in body composition shifted in the healthy direction for TWK10 administration groups, especially for the high TWK10 dose group, which showed that body fat significantly decreased and muscle mass significantly increased. Taken together, our results suggest that TWK10 has the potential to be an ergogenic aid to improve aerobic endurance performance via physiological adaptation effects.