Gencor’s fenugreek-based sports ingredient increases performance of female athletes in clinical trial

24 Aug 2023 --- Libifem significantly increased strength and lean muscle mass while decreasing total fat and trunk fat mass in a clinical trial. Participants completed a whole-body exercise program three times a week for eight weeks, in groups either consuming a 600 mg and 300 mg daily dose of Gencor’s sports ingredient or a placebo. 

Libifem is a standardized fenugreek seed extract that has also been clinically shown to support libido and menopausal symptoms, notes Gencor. The company adds that it can be incorporated into various delivery formats such as capsules, powder blends, RTD shots, functional foods and more. 

In the study, the 600 mg Libifem group reduced their total fat mass by 0.96 kg, decreased trunk fat mass by 0.58 kg, increased lean mass by 1.09 kg and increased the maximum weight they could handle in a leg press. These outcomes were all better than the placebo group. 

Moreover, the research identified significant changes in total fat mass, trunk fat mass and lean mass after eight weeks in the 300 mg and 600 mg Libifem groups, which they did not find in the place group. 

“We are thrilled with the study outcomes and Libifem’s tremendous ability to support women in athletics,” says R.V. Venkatesh, co-founder at Gencor. 

“Libifem is helping to revolutionize the women’s sports and active nutrition category by validating its ingredients with gold-standard clinical research. We will continue investigating Libifem and its impact on women’s health.”

The researchers note that the study’s outcomes can be applied to women’s resistance training as they remark on a need for natural products that benefit body composition. 

Muscle strength 
The study, published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, examined how Libifem may impact muscle strength and endurance, body composition, leg power, muscle recovery and pathological markers in response to a bodyweight resistance training program. 

The multi-site, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study included 84 female athletes aged 25-45 allocated to one of two active intervention groups or the placebo group. 

Female athletes taking daily supplementation of 600 mg Libifem increased their exercising abilities.At baseline, in weeks four and eight, participants conducted a one-repetition maximum leg press and bench press, where researchers determined the maximum weight a participant could press. 

Moreover, participants completed leg and bench press repetitions to fatigue at 80% of the maximum weight. 

All three groups increased the maximum weight they could reach in a leg press after eight weeks by 10.12 kg for the placebo group, 17.68 kg for the 300 mg Libifem group and 22.17 kg for the 600 mg Libifem group. 

The researchers note that further testing is required on the impact of participants’ menstrual cycles and to what extent hormone fluctuations may affect the study’s results; these were not monitored in the clinical trial. 

“This study has the potential to increase the exercising capabilities and alter the physique of females partaking in resistance-based exercise – an area of increasing popularity, but typically under-targeted by both science and commercial products,” reads the report. 

Female sports nutrition
Suppliers have observed that sports nutrition has transitioned beyond professional athletes to everyday consumers, reflecting a diversifying market.

However, recent market analysis by Gencor emphasized how underserved the female demographic is, in terms of supplements R&D. A survey by the Council on Responsible found that although 77% of supplement consumers are women, only 2.5% of sports nutrition products explicitly target this demographic. 

According to industry experts, women increasingly seek products tested on women rather than men, further evidencing the gap in the market. 

Research has emphasized the need to standardize testing products on both men and women. One study found that taking protein hydrolysate supplements during carbohydrate-restricted training helps women to increase training intensity, but not men. 

By Jolanda van Hal