Effects of Rosa roxburghii and kiwifruit composite supplements on improving exercise performance and anti-fatigue in mice

Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RR) and Actinidia chinensis Planch (AC, kiwifruit) are nutrient-dense plant foods with diverse bioactive components. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with Rosa roxburghii and Kiwifruit (RRAC)on improving the exercise performance-enhancing and anti-fatigue effects of a RR-AC composite supplement (RRAC) in experimental murine models. Fifty male institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were randomly allocated t o five groups ( n = 10/group): (1) the blank control group (Rest, normal saline), (2) the fatigue model control group (Con, normal saline), (3) RRAC-L (130 mg/kg/d), (4) RRAC-M (260 mg/kg/d), (5) RRAC-H (520 mg/kg/d). Following 28 consecutive days intervention, the mice in all groups except the Rest group underwent a swimming exhaustion test. Then, mice were subsequently euthanized for plasma biochemical markers and analysis and tissue collection. We found that supplementation with 28-day RRAC could significantly enhance mice’s exercise endurance performance, elevated hepatic and muscle glycogen content (all p < 0.05), and significantly reduced post-exercise fatigue biochemical parameters, including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), L-lactic acid (LAC), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) concentration. Moreover, RRAC supplementation reduced the oxidative stress indicators malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, and increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) , glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) ( p < 0.05). In summary, supplementation with RRAC for 28 days could significantly enhance the exercise tolerance in mice during the swimming exhaustion test via glycogen accumulation and oxidative stress modulation, with no detectable adverse effects on organ structure or function.