Royal Jelly Supplementation Enhances Post-Exhaustive Exercise Energy Metabolism

ABSTRACT Introduction: Lactate accumulation, free radical increase and changes in the activity of regulatory enzymes in energy metabolism that occur after acute exhaustion exercise disrupt the muscle adaptation mechanism and lead to muscle damage. Royal jelly, which is considered a superfood with its cell regeneration and therapeutic effects, can compensate for the effects that occur after exercise. Objective: In this study, the effects of royal jelly supplementation were investigated in Balb-c type mice in which an acute exhaustion exercise model was created. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, royal jelly, acute exhaustion exercise, acute exhaustion exercise + royal jelly. In all groups, the levels of mitochondrial biogenesis markers Ppargc1a and TFAM, which regulate muscle adaptation, and the levels of PDHa and Slc16a1, which are effective in aerobic and anaerobic regulation, were analyzed by ELISA method. Results: PDHa and Slc16a1 levels were statistically significant between groups (p=0.024, p=0.029, respectively), but Ppargc1a and TFAM levels were not significant between groups (p=0.087, p=0.082, respectively). It was found that PDHa, Slc16a1, Ppargc1a and TFAM levels increased in the group receiving royal jelly supplementation with acute exhaustion exercise compared to the group not receiving supplementation. Conclusions: These findings highlight the effective potential of royal jelly in developing/improving aerobic and anaerobic respiratory pathways and in the muscle adaptation process against the impaired muscle adaptation mechanism caused by acute exhausting exercise. Based on these promising results, further research is required to explore new knowledge in exercise physiology and sports sciences. Keyswords: Acute Exhaustion Exercise, Royal Jelly, Muscle Adaptation, Energy Metabolism.