Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice

Abstract Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide found in a range of brown algae species. Growing evidence supports the long‐term supplementation of fucoidan as an ergogenic aid to improve skeletal muscle performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fucoidan on the skeletal musc...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sally E. McBean, Jarrod E. Church, Brett K. Thompson, Caroline J. Taylor, J. H. Fitton, Damien N. Stringer, Sam S. Karpiniec, Ah Y. Park, Chris van derPoel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-02-01
Series:Physiological Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14730
_version_ 1818943840530202624
author Sally E. McBean
Jarrod E. Church
Brett K. Thompson
Caroline J. Taylor
J. H. Fitton
Damien N. Stringer
Sam S. Karpiniec
Ah Y. Park
Chris van derPoel
author_facet Sally E. McBean
Jarrod E. Church
Brett K. Thompson
Caroline J. Taylor
J. H. Fitton
Damien N. Stringer
Sam S. Karpiniec
Ah Y. Park
Chris van derPoel
author_sort Sally E. McBean
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide found in a range of brown algae species. Growing evidence supports the long‐term supplementation of fucoidan as an ergogenic aid to improve skeletal muscle performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fucoidan on the skeletal muscle of mice. Male BL/6 mice (N = 8–10) were administered a novel fucoidan blend (FUC, 400 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (CON) for 4 weeks. Treatment and control experimental groups were further separated into exercise (CON+EX, FUC+EX) or no‐exercise (CON, FUC) groups, where exercised groups performed 30 min of treadmill training three times per week. At the completion of the 4‐week treatment period, there was a significant increase in cross‐sectional area (CSA) of muscle fibers in fucoidan‐treated extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus fibers, which was accompanied by a significant increase in tibialis anterior (TA) muscle force production in fucoidan‐treated groups. There were no significant changes in grip strength or treadmill time to fatigue, nor was there an effect of fucoidan or exercise on mass of TA, EDL, or soleus muscles. In gastrocnemius muscles, there was no change in mRNA expression of mitochondrial biogenesis markers PGC‐1α and Nrf‐2 in any experimental groups; however, there was a significant effect of fucoidan supplementation on myosin heavy chain (MHC)‐2x, but not MHC‐2a, mRNA expression. Overall, fucoidan increased muscle size and strength after 4 weeks of supplementation in both exercised and no‐exercised mice suggesting an important influence of fucoidan on skeletal muscle physiology.
first_indexed 2024-12-20T07:33:43Z
format Article
id doaj.art-243a82e95cea460d95376554c77958ad
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2051-817X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T07:33:43Z
publishDate 2021-02-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Physiological Reports
spelling doaj.art-243a82e95cea460d95376554c77958ad2022-12-21T19:48:19ZengWileyPhysiological Reports2051-817X2021-02-0193n/an/a10.14814/phy2.14730Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in miceSally E. McBean0Jarrod E. Church1Brett K. Thompson2Caroline J. Taylor3J. H. Fitton4Damien N. Stringer5Sam S. Karpiniec6Ah Y. Park7Chris van derPoel8Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Microbiology School of Life SciencesLa Trobe University Bundoora Victoria AustraliaDepartment of Physiology, Anatomy & Microbiology School of Life SciencesLa Trobe University Bundoora Victoria AustraliaDepartment of Physiology, Anatomy & Microbiology School of Life SciencesLa Trobe University Bundoora Victoria AustraliaDepartment of Physiology, Anatomy & Microbiology School of Life SciencesLa Trobe University Bundoora Victoria AustraliaMarinova Cambridge AustraliaMarinova Cambridge AustraliaMarinova Cambridge AustraliaMarinova Cambridge AustraliaDepartment of Physiology, Anatomy & Microbiology School of Life SciencesLa Trobe University Bundoora Victoria AustraliaAbstract Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide found in a range of brown algae species. Growing evidence supports the long‐term supplementation of fucoidan as an ergogenic aid to improve skeletal muscle performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fucoidan on the skeletal muscle of mice. Male BL/6 mice (N = 8–10) were administered a novel fucoidan blend (FUC, 400 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (CON) for 4 weeks. Treatment and control experimental groups were further separated into exercise (CON+EX, FUC+EX) or no‐exercise (CON, FUC) groups, where exercised groups performed 30 min of treadmill training three times per week. At the completion of the 4‐week treatment period, there was a significant increase in cross‐sectional area (CSA) of muscle fibers in fucoidan‐treated extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus fibers, which was accompanied by a significant increase in tibialis anterior (TA) muscle force production in fucoidan‐treated groups. There were no significant changes in grip strength or treadmill time to fatigue, nor was there an effect of fucoidan or exercise on mass of TA, EDL, or soleus muscles. In gastrocnemius muscles, there was no change in mRNA expression of mitochondrial biogenesis markers PGC‐1α and Nrf‐2 in any experimental groups; however, there was a significant effect of fucoidan supplementation on myosin heavy chain (MHC)‐2x, but not MHC‐2a, mRNA expression. Overall, fucoidan increased muscle size and strength after 4 weeks of supplementation in both exercised and no‐exercised mice suggesting an important influence of fucoidan on skeletal muscle physiology.https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14730endurance exerciseFucoidanmuscle contractionmuscle fatigueskeletal muscle
spellingShingle Sally E. McBean
Jarrod E. Church
Brett K. Thompson
Caroline J. Taylor
J. H. Fitton
Damien N. Stringer
Sam S. Karpiniec
Ah Y. Park
Chris van derPoel
Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice
Physiological Reports
endurance exercise
Fucoidan
muscle contraction
muscle fatigue
skeletal muscle
title Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice
title_full Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice
title_fullStr Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice
title_full_unstemmed Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice
title_short Oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice
title_sort oral fucoidan improves muscle size and strength in mice
topic endurance exercise
Fucoidan
muscle contraction
muscle fatigue
skeletal muscle
url https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14730
work_keys_str_mv AT sallyemcbean oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice
AT jarrodechurch oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice
AT brettkthompson oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice
AT carolinejtaylor oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice
AT jhfitton oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice
AT damiennstringer oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice
AT samskarpiniec oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice
AT ahypark oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice
AT chrisvanderpoel oralfucoidanimprovesmusclesizeandstrengthinmice