A Comparative Study of the Effects of Erabu Sea Snake (Laticauda semifasciata) Lipids, Green Tea Extract and Conjugated Linoleic Acid on the Swimming Endurance of Mice

The aim of this study was to assess the interaction between physical and biochemical parameters in mice fed 1 % sea snake lipids (SSL) and compare these with animals fed diets containing 0.2 % green tea extract (GTE) or 0.5 % conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The swimming times of the SSL group were significantly increased at Weeks 12 and 16 (p<0.001), and those of the GTE group, at Week 12 (p<0.005), but not those of the control or CLA group, compared with those at Week 0. The increase tended to be significant in the SSL group compared with the control group at Week 12 (p=0.09). Both the SSL and GTE groups had significantly longer swimming times than the CLA group at Weeks 12 and 16 (p<0.001). After 5 minutes of swimming exercise, the SSL group exhibited significantly lower levels of plasma and muscle lactates (p<0.01), and plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) (p<0.001) than the control group. There were no significant differences in any of plasma glucose, muscle and liver glycogens, muscle lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT), or monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) between SSL and control groups. The results suggest that the intake of 1 % SSL improved endurance more than the intake of 0.2 % GTE or 0.5 % CLA in mice. This action may involve the promotion of lactate oxidation for utilization.