ELEUTHEROCOCCUS SENTICOSUS,
CHIPS AND BEANS PLEASE

Dr Julian Jenkinson discusses nutrition for Ironmen, discovers a wonder plant that’s quite a mouthful and crys: “Bring me a shrubbery!”You’ll all be Russian out for some soon!
(Excerpt from 220 Magazine, July 1996)

Overtraining and frequent illness are two of the major problems associated with Ironman training. Can they be avoided without reverting to the obvious cure of reduced training and increased rest?

Overtraining

This is when the athlete simply carries out more training than his body can cope with. The result is a drop in performance, coupled with a variety of physical and psychological problems. Examples include continual tiredness, weight loss, lack of enthusiasm, slower training times, elevated resting pulse, insomnia, inability to relax etc.

The extent to which you become overtrained is variable. In its mild form. you may be able to cure it by a couple of weeks rest. If, however, you have gone seriously over the top, it could take many months of training.

Overtraining is not just something that affects the World’s elite. Perhaps a better word would be over living. If you are a highly stressed manager clocking 80 hours a week at the office - one session a day could push you too far. If you are a professional athlete - four sessions a day might tip you over the edge.

Frequent Illness

Fitness and health - do they really go hand in hand? Unfortunately not always. Highly trained athletes are often more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections than their normal couch potato counterparts. Strenuous training increases the risk of getting ill because it puts the body under additional stress. The body reacts to stress by increasing the levels of its own stress hormone. This in turn adversely interferes with the body’s immune system by decreasing levels of its own natural killer cells which are responsible for attacking invading microorganisms and virally infected cells. The result is that susceptibility to infection increases. I’m sure like me you’ve already experienced it. If someone in town has a cold, it’s guaranteed that you will get it and it will take forever to go.

You need to be able to increase the volume and intensity of training that your body can cope with, without reaching the point of overtraining, over-living and also be able to recognise the onset of overtraining.

IS THERE A SOLUTION?

Could be? The clue’s in the title and it’s not chips and beans I’m afraid. Eleutherococcus senticosus (ES) is a prickly shrub which grows somewhere in Eastern Siberia and is beginning to cause a stir as an ergogenic aid (basically a go faster pill or potion). Being a cynical old triathlete, I have never been a great believer in all the wonder products on the market. I guarantee that you can eat as many energy bars as you like and you’ll be sick well before you beat Mark Allen. The problem is that pills, potions and energy bars are over hyped, over complicated and over rated as miracle cures. So what about this prickly shrub.

I first came across this product a couple of years ago in a magazine and dismissed it immediately. “You can’t believe anything you read in an advert, I thought.

However, it kept returning to haunt me. Research of the scientific data available on this prickly beast proved compelling reading. There were real results, not just eight out of ten mothers say that their sons cycle faster after eating....

So two years on I was forced to go back and consult the original adverts.

THE CLAIMS

ES is an adaptogen which is a substance that acts in unison with the body to maintain normality, strengthening the body’s own immune system.

ES increases recovery rate allowing for greater volumes and intensity of training before becoming overtrained.

Both of these points are critical to performance. It will not make you go faster overnight but ut does give you more chance to fulfil your potential.

THE EVIDENCE

I carried out my research backwards, reading the evidence then the claims and then after a call to America found that you can buy ES in Wales.

• Large scale people studies noting decreased incidence of illness e.g. 13000 Volga car plant workers in Russia and 1000 workers at Norilsk mining works.
• Many athlete studies on increased ability to train and recover - the results of these subjective studies backed up the ES claim. I was vaguely impressed but not convinced. Apparently the reduced incidence of flu at the Norilsk mining and metal work plant saved them half a million roubles that year ( that might be about 25 pence though!
• Blood data_ the number of infection fighting cells in the blood of healthy individuals was measured before and after ES use. A significant increase in the number of cells was reported. Just what I wanted - some concrete evidence.

WAS ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED IN ES?

I was keen to see the findings of those who has no vested interest in the product, no sponsorship deals etc.

• USSR ministry of sport recommended its use to all athletes including it Olympic teams back in 1962.
• Used to boost the immune system of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.
• There is presently a pilot study for its use to boost the immune system of AIDS patients, The major drug companies are trying to get FDA approval in the US (Quite a few million being spent there)
• Used by Russian Cosmonauts for training and recovery on return to earth.
• Given to victims of the Chernobyl disaster to aid recovery
• Used by ME sufferers.

Well I hope that has provoked a bit of interest and in years to come, if ES hits the big time I will be able to say “I told you so!”.