Effect of a Powdered Ginger Rhizome, Fenugreek Seed and Alhagi Manna Supplement in Increasing Muscle Mass and Body Composition in Male Bodybuilders

Background and purpose: In recent years, consumption of commercial protein supplements and hormones that improve body appearance endangers the health of athletes especially in bodybuilding sport. Recently, use of plant extracts to reduce the side effects of drugs and improving physical activity has gained a lot of attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a supplement (mixture powder of Fenugreek seeds, rhizomes of Ginger and Alhaji manna) on increasing muscle strength and body composition in athletes in Mashhad, Iran, 2015. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study with pretest and posttest design was carried out in which 40 male athletes were selected using stratified random sampling. The participants had at least one year activity in fitness clubs. They were divided into control and experimental groups (n = 20 per group). The experimental group performed specific exercises for six weeks and had a daily intake of 5 grams of the supplement (in non-training days and one hr before the exercises). Data analysis was done in SPSS V.20 applying Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon tests. Results: The Wilcoxon test showed that taking the supplement in six weeks of bodybuilding exercises increased the factors influencing body composition and muscle strength in the experimental group (p≤0.05). Conclusion: According to this study, a mixture powder of Fenugreek seeds, rhizomes of Ginger and Alhaji manna is helpful in improving muscle strength and body composition in athletes