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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
No ergogenic effects of ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) during graded maximal aerobic exercise
1Division of Health, Physical Education and Recreation-Exercise Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
Objective:
To assess the effects of chronic supplementation with two different dosages of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer on physiologic and psychological responses during graded maximal aerobic exercise.
Design:
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Subjects:
Thirty-six healthy men consuming an otherwise supplement-free diet who maintained their usual activity level.
Intervention:
A standardized P ginseng C.A. Meyer concentrate (G115) was added to the normal diet of study participants at a dosage level of either 200 or 400 mg/day, where 100 mg of the preparation is equivalent to 500 mg P gingseng root.
Main Outcome Measures:
Submaximal and maximal aerobic exercise responses before and after an 8-week trial intervention.
Statistical Analyses Performed:
Analysis of variance.
Results:
Thirty-one subjects completed the study. Supplementation with ginseng had no effect on the following physiologic and psychological parameters: oxygen consumption (mL/kg per minute), respiratory exchange ratio, minute ventilation (L/min), blood lactic acid concentration (mmol/L), heart rate (beats/min), and perceived exertion (P > .05).
Conclusions:
Our data in healthy men do not offer support for claims that P ginseng C.A. Meyer is an ergogenic aid to improve submaximal and maximal aerobic exercise performance.
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