Abstract:

An increasing number of studies in the field of sports science show that Chinese medicinal herbs, which may be
applied in functional foods and sports nutrition supplements, has been gained extensive attention and recognition all over
the world. However, the mechanisms by which sports nutrition supplements with Chinese medicinal herbs (SNSCMH)
accelerate the recovery of fatigue and improve the sports performance are still ambiguous or unclear. This review focuses
on the latest literature published after the year of 2000, and summarizes SNSCMH from 5 aspects: 1). the commonly used
medicinal ingredients and SNSCMH recipes; 2). the experimental design of SNSCMH; 3). the anti-fatigue mechanisms of
SNSCMH; 4). the immuno-enhancing mechanisms of SNSCMH; 5) the anti-oxidant signaling pathways of SNSCMH for
enhancing immunity. We hope that this review will provide creative thoughts regarding SNSCMH.

Key words: functional foods, sports nutrition supplements, anti-fatigue, anti-oxidation, immune enhancement, signal pathway