Bee honey and exercise for improving physical performance, reducing fatigue, and promoting an active lifestyle during COVID-19

Abstract

An active lifestyle has enormous health benefits. However, physical activity has globally decreased since the beginning of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak because of social distancing measures. Older adults and people with age-related diseases (e.g., diabetes, obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, etc.) are widely affected by COVID-19 and its grave adverse effects because of their baseline poor immune function. Although they are in intense need for the therapeutic benefits of exercise, they may express a low capacity for exercising due to skeletal muscle dysfunction and low motivation. Honey is a natural energy-rich, low glycemic index food with a variety of biological activities. It is reported to correct muscle pathology in diseased conditions. Because skeletal muscle is the key structure involved in the exercise, we explored the literature for the exercise-promoting potential of natural honey. Bee honey improves physical performance at moderate levels of activity, and it reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines and biomarkers of fatigue following strenuous exercise among athletes. Supplementing ischemic heart disease patients with honey combined with floral pollen improved patients’ tolerance for physical loads and corrected metabolic dysfunctions. Therefore, the therapeutic use of honey may have implications for increasing the capacity for exercise in aged and diseased individuals. Soundly designed studies are needed to evaluate such possibilities.

Keywords

Bee honey / Physical activity / Fatigue / Skeletal muscle / Coronavirus disease 2019/COVID-19 / Non-compliance / Aging

References

[[1]] P.A. Slullitel, C.M. Lucero, M.L. Soruco, et al.. Prolonged social lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic and hip fracture epidemiology. Int Orthop, 44 (10) ( 2020), pp. 1887-1895, DOI: 10.1007/s00264-020-04769-6

[[2]] Y. Suzuki, N. Maeda, D. Hirado, T. Shirakawa, Y. Urabe.Physical activity changes and its risk factors among community-dwelling Japanese older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic: associations with subjective well-being and health-related quality of life. Int J Environ Res Publ Health, 17 (18) ( 2020), p. 6591, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186591

[[3]] M. Yamada, Y. Kimura, D. Ishiyama, et al.. Effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on physical activity in community-dwelling older adults in Japan: a cross-sectional online survey. J Nutr Health Aging, 24 (9) ( 2020), pp. 948-950, DOI: 10.1007/s12603-020-1424-2

[[4]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi. Apitherapy for age-related skeletal muscle dysfunction (sarcopenia): a review on the effects of royal jelly, propolis, and bee pollen. Foods, 9 (10) ( 2020), p. 1362, DOI: 10.3390/foods9101362

[[5]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi. Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): a pandemic that threatens physical and mental health by promoting physical inactivity. Sports Med Health Sci, 2 (4) ( 2020), pp. 221-223, DOI: 10.1016/j.smhs.2020.11.006

[[6]] G.H. Tison, R. Avram, P. Kuhar, et al.. Worldwide effect of COVID-19 on physical activity: a descriptive study. Ann Intern Med, 173 (9) ( 2020), pp. 767-770, DOI: 10.7326/M20-2665

[[7]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi. Physical frailty/sarcopenia as a key predisposing factor to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its complications in older adults. BioMed ( 2021). under review

[[8]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi. Skeletal muscle damage in COVID-19: a call for action. Medicina, 57 (4) ( 2021), p. 372, DOI: 10.3390/medicina57040372

[[9]] A.M. Ali,H. Kunugi. Intermittent fasting, dietary modifications, and exercise for the control of gestational diabetes and maternal mood dysregulation: a review and a case report. Int J Environ Res Publ Health, 17 (24) ( 2020), p. 9379, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249379

[[10]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi. Propolis, bee honey, and their components protect against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19): a review of in silico, in vitro, and clinical studies. Molecules, 26 (5) ( 2021), p. 1232, DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051232

[[11]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi.Approaches to nutritional screening in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Int J Environ Res Publ Health, 18 (5) ( 2021), p. 2772, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052772

[[12]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi.Screening for sarcopenia (physical frailty) in the COVID-19 era. Int J Endocrinol, 2021 ( 2021), p. 5563960, DOI: 10.1155/2021/5563960

[[13]] AM.Ali, H. Kunugi. Apitherapy for Parkinson's disease: A focus on the effects of propolis and royal jelly. Oxid Med Cell Longev., 2020 ( 2020), p. 1727142, DOI: 10.1155/2020/1727142

[[14]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi. Royal jelly as an intelligent anti-aging agent-A focus on cognitive aging and Alzheimer’s disease: A review. Antioxidants, 9 (10) ( 2020), p. 937, DOI: 10.3390/antiox9100937

[[15]] H. Kunugi,A. Mohammed Ali. Royal jelly and its components promote healthy aging and longevity: from animal models to humans. Int J Mol Sci, 20 (19) ( 2019), p. 4662, DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194662

[[16]] M. Uusitupa, T.A. Khan, E. Viguiliouk, et al.. Prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle changes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 11 (11) ( 2019), p. 2611, DOI: 10.3390/nu11112611

[[17]] H.K. Larson, K. McFadden, T.-L.F. McHugh, et al.. When you don’t get what you want—and it’s really hard: exploring motivational contributions to exercise dropout. Psychol Sport Exerc, 37 ( 2018), pp. 59-66, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.04.006

[[18]] S. Herman, J.A. Blumenthal, M. Babyak, et al.. Exercise therapy for depression in middle-aged and older adults: predictors of early dropout and treatment failure. Health Psychol, 21 (6) ( 2002), pp. 553-563

[[19]] J.P. Rosa, A.A. de Souza, G.H. de Lima, et al.. Motivational and evolutionary aspects of a physical exercise training program: a longitudinal study. Front Psychol, 6 ( 2015), p. 648, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00648

[[20]] E. Van Roie, S. Walker, S. Van Driessche, T. Delabastita, B. Vanwanseele, C. Delecluse. An age-adapted plyometric exercise program improves dynamic strength, jump performance and functional capacity in older men either similarly or more than traditional resistance training. PloS One, 15 (8) ( 2020), Article e0237921, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237921

[[21]] A. Joksimović, D. Stanković, I. Joksimović, S. Molnar, S. Joksimović. Royal jelly as a supplement for young football players. Sport Sci, 2 (1) ( 2009), pp. 62-67

[[22]] A.M. Ali, A.H. Ahmed, L. Smail.Psychological climacteric symptoms and attitudes toward menopause among Emirati women. Int J Environ Res Publ Health, 17 (14) ( 2020), p. 5028, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145028

[[23]] A.M. Ali, A.O. Hendawy.Bee honey as a potentially effective treatment for depression: a review of clinical and preclinical findings. JOJ Nurse Health Care, 9 (2) ( 2018), p. 555764

[[24]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi. Bee honey protects astrocytes against oxidative stress: a preliminary in vitro investigation. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep, 39 (4) ( 2019), pp. 312-314, DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12079

[[25]] A.M. Ali, E.M. Ali, M.S. Ahmed, A.O. Hendawy. Targeting gut microbiome and the recovery of muscle loss associated with cancer (cachexia): an overview of the possible effect of bee products. Med Leg Update, 21 (2) ( 2021), pp. 163-171

[[26]] A.M. Ali, A.O. Hendawy.So, antidepressant drugs have serious adverse effects, but what are the alternatives?. Nov Appro Drug Des Dev, 4 (3) ( 2018), p. 555636

[[27]] J.S. Tang, B.J. Compton, A. Marshall, et al.. Mānuka honey-derived methylglyoxal enhances microbial sensing by mucosal-associated invariant T cells. Food Funct, 11 (7) ( 2020), pp. 5782-5787, DOI: 10.1039/d0fo01153c

[[28]] CK. Mok YL. Ng BA. Ahidjo RC. Hua Lee MW. Choy Loe J. Liu, et al.. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, is a promising candidate for COVID-19 prophylaxis. bioRxiv, 2020 ( 2020.06.21), p. 162396

[[29]] N.S. Ahmad, F.K. Ooi, M. Saat Ismail, M. Mohamed. Effects of post-exercise honey drink ingestion on blood glucose and subsequent running performance in the heat. Asian J Sports Med, 6 (3) ( 2015), DOI: 10.5812/asjsm.24044

[[30]] T. Matsui, M. Soya, H. Soya. Endurance and brain glycogen: a clue toward understanding central fatigue. Adv Neurobiol, 23 ( 2019), pp. 331-346, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27480-1_11

[[31]] C.P. Earnest, S.L. Lancaster, C.J. Rasmussen, et al.. Low vs. high glycemic index carbohydrate gel ingestion during simulated 64-km cycling time trial performance. J Strength Condit Res, 18 (3) ( 2004), pp. 466-472, DOI: 10.1519/R-xxxxx.1

[[32]] M.O. Aly, R. Elgohary, D.I. Tayel. The effect of honey supplementation formula on delaying some fatigue markers on 1500 meters runners with no impact on performance. Int J Sports Sci, 9 (3) ( 2019), pp. 47-53

[[33]] E.L. Abbey, J.W. Rankin. Effect of Ingesting a Honey-Sweetened Beverage on Soccer Performance and Exercise-Induced Cytokine Response. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 19 (6) ( 2009), pp. 659-672. DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.19.6.659

[[34]] S.M. Schmitz, J.E. Hofheins, R. Lemieux.Nine weeks of supplementation with a multi-nutrient product augments gains in lean mass, strength, and muscular performance in resistance trained men. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 7 ( 2010), p. 40, DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-7-40

[[35]] S. Daneghian, R. Amani, S.A. Hosseini, P. Ghandil, A. Jafari, A. Saki Malehi.Effect of herbal antioxidant-rich formula on improvement of antioxidant defense system and heat shock protein-70 expression in recreational female athletes: a randomized controlled trial. J Res Med Sci, 24 ( 2019), p. 37, DOI: 10.4103/jrms.JRMS_591_18

[[36]] V.A. Liusov, A.A. Gorbachenkov, V.A. Dudaev, V.V. Gorin. Vliianie pchelinogo meda i tsvetochnoĭ pyl’tsy na perenosimost’ fizicheskikh nagruzok, lipidnyĭ obmen i reologicheskie svoĭstva krovi u bol’nykh ishemicheskoĭ bolezn’iu serdtsa [The effect of bee honey and flower pollen on the tolerance for physical loads, on lipid metabolism and on the rheological properties of the blood in patients with ischemic heart disease]. Kardiologiia, 32 (7-8) ( 1992), pp. 45-48

[[37]] E.M. Simonsick, J.A. Schrack, N.W. Glynn, L. Ferrucci. Assessing fatigability in mobility-intact older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc, 62 (2) (2014 Feb), pp.347-351, DOI: 10.1111/jgs.12638

[[38]] A.M. Ali, H. Kunugi.Hypoproteinemia predicts disease severity and mortality in COVID-19: a call for action. Diagn Pathol, 16 (1) ( 2021), p. 31, DOI: 10.1186/s13000-021-01092-5

[[39]] M.P. Siegel, S.E. Kruse, J.M. Percival, et al.. Mitochondrial-targeted peptide rapidly improves mitochondrial energetics and skeletal muscle performance in aged mice. Aging Cell, 12 (5) ( 2013), pp. 763-771, DOI: 10.1111/acel.12102

[[40]] T.C. Vilela, P.S. Effting, G. dos Santos Pedroso, et al.. Aerobic and strength training induce changes in oxidative stress parameters and elicit modifications of various cellular components in skeletal muscle of aged rats. Exp Gerontol, 106 ( 2018), pp. 21-27, DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2018.02.014

[[41]] T. Kidd, F. Mold, C. Jones, et al.. What are the most effective interventions to improve physical performance in pre-frail and frail adults? A systematic review of randomised control trials. BMC Geriatr, 19 (1) ( 2019), p. 184, DOI: 10.1186/s12877-019-1196-x

[[42]] A. Lindegård, I.H. Jonsdottir, M. Börjesson, M. Lindwall, M. Gerber.Changes in mental health in compliers and non-compliers with physical activity recommendations in patients with stress-related exhaustion. BMC Psychiatr, 15 ( 2015), p. 272, DOI: 10.1186/s12888-015-0642-3