REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Sport and Exercise Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1650499
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Complex Carbohydrates and Proteins for Enhanced Athletic Performance and Fatigue ReductionView all articles
Effects and mechanisms of polysaccharides from natural medicinal plants on improving aerobic exercise capacity
Provisionally accepted
- 1The Fifth College of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- 2Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- 3The fifth affiliated hospital of guangzhou university of chinese medecine, Guangzhou, China
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Aerobic exercise capacity is a critical determinant of endurance performance and overall health.Natural medicinal plant polysaccharides (NMPPs) have emerged as promising bioagents to enhance aerobic capacity through multi-target mechanisms. This review summarizes the effects of NMPPs on improving aerobic capacity, including oxygen supply and utilization in skeletal muscle, as well as the storage and metabolism of energy substrates. Additionally, we discuss the structural specificity related to their bioactivities. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which NMPPs enhance aerobic capacity encompass anti-fatigue properties, antioxidative effects, anti-inflammatory actions, immunomodulation, and modulation of gut microbiota. However, although there are many in vitro evidences, clinical translation requires standardized human trials and deeper exploration of structure-activity relationships. NMPPs represent a safe, multi-mechanistic alternative to conventional strategies, offering novel solutions for improving athletic performance and health resilience.
Keywords: Natural medicinal plant polysaccharides, aerobic exercise capacity, bioactivity mechanisms, structure-activity, Anti-fatigue mechanisms
Received: 20 Jun 2025; Accepted: 30 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xu, Chen and Liang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wenjian Liang, The Fifth College of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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