Ginseng and L-carnitine are natural compounds often used as dietary supplements to enhance athletic performance. However, their combined effects on exercise endurance remain unclear. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of ginseng extract and L-carnitine supplementation on exercise endurance in a rat model. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into 10 groups (n = 5 per group): control, ginseng extract (250 and 500 mg/kg/day), L-carnitine (250 and 500 mg/kg/day), and combined treatment. Half of the groups underwent a 16-day exercise training program of swimming without loading. Exercise endurance was assessed using a tail-suspended forced swimming test. Relative organ weight, glycogen content, blood biochemistry, and gene expression were analyzed. Results: Both ginseng extract and L-carnitine supplementation significantly increased exercise endurance, particularly in the exercise group. Ginseng extract and L-carnitine also increased liver glycogen content and upregulated the expression of AMPKα1 and PGC-1α genes in the liver and muscle. In addition, both supplements reduced oxidative stress by decreasing MDA levels and increasing SOD activity. Conclusions: Ginseng extract and L-carnitine supplementation may enhance exercise endurance by improving energy metabolism, reducing oxidative stress, and upregulating key genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis.

Background. Transferring energy from the lower extremities to the torso is a crucial mechanism enabling an effective golf swing. However, the optimal plantar pressure distribution that facilitates this energy flow has not been thoroughly investigated. Objectives. This study explored the relationship and predictive potential between peak in-shoe plantar pressures at specific ...

Introduction: Clubhead speed is a primary determinant of golf performance, typically linked to the kinetic chain. Although foot–ground interaction variables such as plantar pressure and center-of-pressure behavior associate with performance, the mechanisms linking these factors to clubhead speed remain unclear. This study investigated whether foot–ground interaction influences clubhead speed directly or through intermediate mechanisms, such as segmental sequencing and energy transfer. Methods: Thirty right-handed golfers (15 professionals, 15 high-level amateurs) performed maximal swings using a driver and a 7-iron. Data from both club types were pooled to identify generalized biomechanical mechanisms across equipment. Kinematics, ground reaction forces, and plantar pressure were recorded. Impulse-based energy transfer efficiency—defined as the effectiveness of mechanical impulse transmission from proximal segments to the club head—was computed. Principal component analysis-derived constructs for hierarchical regression and serial mediation models, controlling for skill level. Results: Foot–ground interaction variables explained 35.5% of the variance in clubhead speed. Adding trunk sequencing and impulse-based energy transfer efficiency increased the explained variance to 75.4% (adjusted R 2 = 0.715 ). Mediation analysis revealed that early-phase center-of-pressure behavior did not directly influence clubhead speed. Instead, a significant indirect pathway through impulse-based energy transfer efficiency was found (accounting for 55% of the total variance in the mediation model); trunk sequencing did not independently mediate this relationship, while skill level remained a significant covariate. Conclusion: Foot–ground interaction enhances clubhead speed primarily by facilitating efficient impulse-based energy transfer along the kinetic chain rather than through direct mechanical effects. These findings support integrating foot-pressure and energy-flow analyses for performance assessment and evidence-based training.

Obesity is an important public health concern among children and adolescents. Effective weight management generally requires dietary modification, nutrition education, physical activity, and continued behavioral support. This study developed and evaluated Korat crispy chicken sticks (K) as a dietary component of a multicomponent weight management program for adolescents with obesity, with commercial chicken sticks (C) as the comparator. A mixture design was used to optimize the product formulation, and a reduced-sugar formulation was selected. The selected product had a hardness of 1548.52 ± 321.25 g, crispness of 54.00 ± 13.23 fracture peaks, water activity of 0.407 ± 0.001, and protein content of 56.90 ± 0.75% on a dry weight basis. Sensory evaluation showed significant differences between the tested products regarding color, aroma, texture, and overall liking (all p < 0.05), but no significant difference in flavor. A preliminary randomized controlled trial was conducted among 38 adolescents with obesity. Participants were randomly allocated to the K group (n = 20) or C group (n = 18) for at least two months. Both groups received the same nutrition education, dietary energy restriction, physical activity recommendations, and telemedicine follow-up. No formal a priori sample size calculation was performed; therefore, the clinical findings were considered exploratory. Both groups showed small reductions in body weight and BMI. BMI decreased by 0.90% in the K group and 1.05% in the C group; neither within-group change was statistically significant. LDL cholesterol decreased from 104.35 ± 17.06 to 101.78 ± 20.70 mg/dL in the K group, but the within-group change was not statistically significant (p = 0.894). In contrast, LDL cholesterol increased from 112.71 ± 24.40 to 123.81 ± 28.34 mg/dL in the C group (p = 0.046). The unadjusted comparison of post-intervention LDL values differed between the groups (p = 0.009), but this finding does not demonstrate a statistically significant LDL reduction within the K group. MDA levels decreased in both groups, but the changes were not statistically significant. These preliminary findings indicate that Korat crispy chicken sticks may be feasible as a dietary component of a multicomponent weight management program. However, the study did not establish an independent effect of the Korat product on BMI, LDL cholesterol, or oxidative stress. Larger adequately powered randomized controlled trials using prespecified outcomes and baseline-adjusted between-group analyses are required.