Supplement that reduces risk of Exercise-Induced Asthma had been discovered

Researchers from Indiana discovered a protein supplement that is said to enhance the lung function and limit the airway inflammation among asthmatics that undergoes exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, or more popularly known as exercise-induced asthma .

Timothy Mickleborough, professor from Indiana claimed that the findings are the same with his earlier studies involving fish oil but this time it is in a much smaller dosage of the supplement. The new finding that can be seen in an online journal Respiratory Medicine, suggest that there are about 59 percent improvement in lung function after an airway challenge, and a reduction in airway inflammation, asthma symptoms and use of emergency medication.

In exercise-induced asthma, brisk workout causes the airway passage to get thinner, which makes it harder to breathe. Other symptoms that can be expected are coughing, tightening of the chest and excessive fatigue. It is believe that around 90 percent of people with asthma experience this condition. Elite athletes have a lower chance of acquiring asthma.

For the study, the researchers used Lyprinol/Omega XL, which contains PCSO-524 , an extract that comes from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel. They mixed it with olive oil and vitamin E. PCSO-524 includes the five main lipid classes: sterol esters, sterols, polar lipids, triglycerides and free fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

This is not the first study conducted about the PCSO-524 as it is already proven effectual when it comes to treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. The new study is the first of its kind as it proves how effective reducing the airway inflammation can do to asthmatic people.

For the study, the researcher asked 12 men and eight women with ages ranging from 20 to 24 undergo the study. All the participants suffer from asthma and were not into maintenance drugs, but all of them used rescue inhalers. For the first three weeks, they all followed their regular diet. After that, half of them took placebo, while the others were provided with the supplement. And then, they followed their regular diet for around two weeks.

After two weeks, they were asked to consume alternative supplement for three weeks. The placebo and PCSO-524 works similarly. A eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation challenge was used at the beginning of the study and after each time the participants were treated. The results show numerous measures of lung function and inflammation, which were gathered before and after the test. During the test, the participants were asked to record the emergency inhaler use, symptoms and peak flow measurements.