Michael Hartman PhD

Moringa oleifera leaves, seeds, bark, roots, sap, and flowers are widely used in traditional medicine, and the leaves and immature seed pods are used as food products in human nutrition. Leaf extracts exhibit the greatest antioxidant activity, and various safety studies in animals involving aqueous leaf extracts indicate a high degree of safety. No adverse effects were reported in association with human studies. Five human studies using powdered whole leaf preparations of M. oleifera have been… Show more

Moringa oleifera leaves, seeds, bark, roots, sap, and flowers are widely used in traditional medicine, and the leaves and immature seed pods are used as food products in human nutrition. Leaf extracts exhibit the greatest antioxidant activity, and various safety studies in animals involving aqueous leaf extracts indicate a high degree of safety. No adverse effects were reported in association with human studies. Five human studies using powdered whole leaf preparations of M. oleifera have been published, which have demonstrated anti-hyperglycemic (antidiabetic) and anti-dyslipidemic activities. These activities have been confirmed using extracts as well as leaf powders in animal studies. A rapidly growing number of published studies have shown that aqueous, hydroalcohol, or alcohol extracts of M. oleifera leaves possess a wide range of additional biological activities including antioxidant, tissue protective (liver, kidneys, heart, testes, and lungs), analgesic, antiulcer, antihypertensive, radioprotective, and immunomodulatory actions. A wide variety of polyphenols and phenolic acids as well as flavonoids, glucosinolates, and possibly alkaloids is believed to be responsible for the observed effects. Standardization of products is an issue. However, the results of published studies to date involving M. oleifera are very promising. Additional human studies using standardized extracts are highly desirable. Show less

N-methyltyramine (NMT) is a protoalkaloid isolated from various plant species. It is assumed that NMT is an adrenergic agonist with pharmacological properties similar to other structurally related biogenic amines. Current research studies indicate that NMT is an α-adrenoreceptor antagonist, and exhibits modest inhibitory (antagonistic) activity with respect to the breakdown of fats (lipolysis). Furthermore, NMT has been shown to enhance appetite and digestion of foods through its stimulatory… Show more

N-methyltyramine (NMT) is a protoalkaloid isolated from various plant species. It is assumed that NMT is an adrenergic agonist with pharmacological properties similar to other structurally related biogenic amines. Current research studies indicate that NMT is an α-adrenoreceptor antagonist, and exhibits modest inhibitory (antagonistic) activity with respect to the breakdown of fats (lipolysis). Furthermore, NMT has been shown to enhance appetite and digestion of foods through its stimulatory effects on gastrin and pancreatic secretions. As a consequence, NMT is not an ingredient that should be used in dietary supplements designed to promote weight loss. It may result in an increase in perceived energy by promoting appetite and the digestion and absorption of nutrients while inhibiting the breakdown to fats to energy. Show less

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a moderate dose of creatine monohydrate (CM) and two smaller doses of polyethylene glycosylated (PEG) creatine on muscular strength, endurance, and power output. Fifty-eight healthy men (mean +/- SD: age, 21 +/- 2 years; height, 176 +/- 6 cm; body mass [BM], 75 +/- 14 kg) volunteered and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: (a) placebo (PL; 3.6 g of microcrystalline cellulose; n = 15), (b) CM (5 g of creatine; n = 13), (c) small-dose… Show more

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a moderate dose of creatine monohydrate (CM) and two smaller doses of polyethylene glycosylated (PEG) creatine on muscular strength, endurance, and power output. Fifty-eight healthy men (mean +/- SD: age, 21 +/- 2 years; height, 176 +/- 6 cm; body mass [BM], 75 +/- 14 kg) volunteered and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: (a) placebo (PL; 3.6 g of microcrystalline cellulose; n = 15), (b) CM (5 g of creatine; n = 13), (c) small-dose PEG creatine (1.25 g of creatine: PEG1.25; n = 14), or (d) moderate-dose PEG creatine (2.50 g of creatine: PEG2.50; n = 16). Testing was conducted before (pre-) and after (post-) a 30-day supplementation period. Measurements included body mass, countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) height, power output during the Wingate test (peak power [PP] and mean power [MP]), 1 repetition maximum bench press (1RMBP), 1RM leg press (1RMLP) strength, and repetitions to failure at 80% of the 1RM for bench press (REPBP) and leg press (REPLP). BM and MP (W) increased (p <or= 0.05) from pre- to postsupplementation for the CM group only, whereas 1RMBP and 1RMLP increased (p <or= 0.05) for the CM, PEG1.25, and PEG2.50 groups. CVJ height (cm and cm.kg), MP (W.kg), PP (W and W.kg), REPBP, and REPLP increased (p <or= 0.05) for all groups. These findings indicated that the recommended safe dose of 5 g.d of CM increased BM and improved muscle strength (1RMBP and 1RMLP). Smaller doses of PEG creatine (1.25 and 2.50 g.d) improved muscle strength (1RMBP and 1RMLP) to the same extent as 5 g.d of CM, but did not alter BM, power output, or endurance. When compared to the PL group, neither CM nor PEG creatine supplementation improved peak power output (CVJ or PP), MP, or muscle endurance (REPBP or REPLP). Thus, PEG creatine may have ergogenic effects that are comparable to those of CM, but with a smaller dose of creatine. Show less

BACKGROUND:
Ageing is associated with a significant reduction in skeletal muscle carnosine which has been linked with a reduction in the buffering capacity of muscle and in theory, may increase the rate of fatigue during exercise. Supplementing beta-alanine has been shown to significantly increase skeletal muscle carnosine. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the effects of ninety days of beta-alanine supplementation on the physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold… Show more

BACKGROUND:
Ageing is associated with a significant reduction in skeletal muscle carnosine which has been linked with a reduction in the buffering capacity of muscle and in theory, may increase the rate of fatigue during exercise. Supplementing beta-alanine has been shown to significantly increase skeletal muscle carnosine. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the effects of ninety days of beta-alanine supplementation on the physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold (PWCFT) in elderly men and women.
METHODS:
Using a double-blind placebo controlled design, twenty-six men (n = 9) and women (n = 17) (age +/- SD = 72.8 +/- 11.1 yrs) were randomly assigned to either beta-alanine (BA: 800 mg x 3 per day; n = 12; CarnoSyntrade mark) or Placebo (PL; n = 14) group. Before (pre) and after (post) the supplementation period, participants performed a discontinuous cycle ergometry test to determine the PWCFT.
RESULTS:
Significant increases in PWCFT (28.6%) from pre- to post-supplementation were found for the BA treatment group (p < 0.05), but no change was observed with PL treatment. These findings suggest that ninety days of BA supplementation may increase physical working capacity by delaying the onset of neuromuscular fatigue in elderly men and women.
CONCLUSION:
We suggest that BA supplementation, by improving intracellular pH control, improves muscle endurance in the elderly. This, we believe, could have importance in the prevention of falls, and the maintenance of health and independent living in elderly men and women.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the effect resistance training has on metabolic economy during typical activities of daily living in a geriatric population. Twenty-nine men and women (age: 66.7 +/- 4.4 years, body mass: 72.3 +/- 11.9 kg) participated in a 26-week heavy-resistance training program. Before and after training, heart rate and expiratory gases were measured for subjects performing 3 tasks that would mimic common everyday activities encountered by this population: (a)… Show more

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect resistance training has on metabolic economy during typical activities of daily living in a geriatric population. Twenty-nine men and women (age: 66.7 +/- 4.4 years, body mass: 72.3 +/- 11.9 kg) participated in a 26-week heavy-resistance training program. Before and after training, heart rate and expiratory gases were measured for subjects performing 3 tasks that would mimic common everyday activities encountered by this population: (a) walking (WLK) at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km x h(-1)), (b) carrying a box (CAR) to simulate holding a bag of groceries with 1 hand (30% of maximal isometric strength) while walking at 2 miles per hour (3.2 km x h(-1)), and (c) climbing stairs (STR). No time by gender interaction was observed for the WLK, CAR, and STR activities; consequently, the values for men and women were pooled. Both strength and fat-free mass increased significantly (p < or = 0.001) after the training protocol, whereas body mass remained constant. Oxygen cost decreased significantly by 6% (p < or = 0.05) only for CAR, whereas the respiratory exchange ratio decreased significantly (p < or = 0.05) for both WLK (0.84-0.81) and STR (0.87-0.83), and heart rate decreased significantly (p < or = 0.05) only for CAR. After the resistance training program, subjects also reported a significant decrease (p < or = 0.05) in perceived exertion during performance of all functional task test conditions. These results suggest that a heavy-resistance training program might affect exercise economy during daily tasks and improve ease of physical activity, thereby providing a possible mechanism for increasing quality of life in an older and geriatric population. Show less