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Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Estrogen-Like Effect of Bazi Bushen Capsule in Ovariectomized Rats
Published on: April 7, 2023
An isoflavone enriched diet increases skeletal muscle adaptation in response to physical activity in ovariectomized
Wenya Zheng1, Jonas Hengevoß1, Sebastian T Soukup2
1Institute of Cardiovascular Research and Sports Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Germany.
Scope:
This study was to investigate anabolic adaptation of skeletal muscle in response to an isoflavone (ISO) enriched diet, training and their combinations in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.
Methods And Results:
Female Wistar rats were sedentary, performed treadmill uphill running, received ISOs, or a combination of ISOs and running after ovariectomy. Body weight was increased by OVX. Both ISO and training treatment antagonized this increase. The weights of soleus and gastrocnemius muscles were increased only when training and ISOs were combined. In soleus muscle insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1R, MyoD and Myogenin expressions were only up-regulated by training in Sham groups. However, a stimulation of IGF-1R and MyoD expression could be observed when ISOs and training were combined. In gastrocnemius muscle MyoD and Myogenin expressions were stimulated by either training or ISOs. Additive effects were detected when combining the two interventions.
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that the combination of ISOs and exercise is more efficient in increasing relative skeletal muscle mass and the expression of molecular markers related to anabolic adaptation in the skeletal muscle of female rats.
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