2000 多年來，瑪卡在安第斯地區一直被用作增強體力的傳統藥物。
瑪卡中有許多有助於提高身體機能的元素。碘、鎂和鐵是提高我們的力量和耐力的最常見元素。
碘
甲狀腺素 (T4) 和三碘甲狀腺原氨酸 (T3) 需要碘作為基本成分才能完全有效。兩種激素會影響生長、能量代謝、大腦發育和健康的骨骼結構。運動員長時間高強度運動顯著增加了缺碘的風險。
鎂
動物研究結果表明，補充鎂可以提高能量代謝的效率，而人類研究表明，補充鎂可以提高有氧和無氧運動的表現參數。
鐵
鐵在體內有多種作用，包括氧氣的輸送，以及線粒體水平的能量產生。缺鐵的症狀包括疲倦、精力不足、呼吸短促、難以回復和表現下降。
為了研究瑪卡對運動疲勞的影響，有科學家選取了40隻雄性白老鼠，分成4組。
3組餵食不同濃度的瑪卡。餵食兩週後，測定老鼠們的生理指標、血糖、尿素氮(urea nitrogen)和肌酐(creatinine)。實驗結果表明，瑪卡可以提高小鼠的抗疲勞能力。越高越集中的瑪卡成份，抗疲勞性越好。
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Maca has been used as a traditional medicine for strength and performance in the Andean region for over 2,000 years.
There are many elements in Maca that help boosting the physical performance. Iodine, magnesium and iron are the most common elements that improve our strength and endurance.
Iodine
Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) require iodine as a building block to be fully effective. Two hormones affect the growth, energy metabolism, the development of the brain and a healthy bone structure. Athletes perform at high intensity for long periods of time have significantly increased risk of iodine deficient.
Magnesium
Findings from animal studies suggested Mg supplementation may improve the efficiency of energy metabolism, while human studies indicated Mg supplementation may improve performance parameters in both aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
Iron
Iron has several roles in the body including the transport and delivery of oxygen, and energy production at the level of the mitochondria. Symptoms indicative of an iron deficiency include tiredness, a lack of energy, shortness of breath, poor recovery and a reduction in performance
In order to study the effect of maca on sport fatigue, some scientist selected 40 male mice, and divided into 4 groups. 3 were fed with different concentrations of maca. After two weeks of feeding, the physiological index, blood glucose, urea nitrogen and creatinine were measured. Experimental results show that maca can improve the ability of anti-fatigue mice. The higher and more concentrated it is, the better the resistance to fatigue.
Black Maca---link
Red Maca---link
Source:
The Research on the Impact of Maca Polypeptide on Sport Fatigue
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Preservation of Cognitive Function by Lepidium meyenii (Maca) Is Associated with Improvement of Mitochondrial Activity and Upregulation of Autophagy-Related Proteins in Middle-Aged Mouse Cortex
Link
13 Iodine Benefits You didn’t Know
Link
Can Magnesium Enhance Exercise Performance?
Link