ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2018 May;58(5):678-83

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.08158-0

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Robuvit®: improvement of fatigue in medical convalescence

Edmondo IPPOLITO ^{1, 2, 3}, Gianni BELCARO ^{1, 2, 3, 4} ✉, Roberta LUZZI ¹, Morio HOSOI ¹, Mark DUGALL ¹, Peter ROHDEWALD ², Beatrice FERAGALLI ¹, Roberto COTELLESE ¹, Paula PETERZAN ¹

¹ Irvine3 Labs, Circulation Sciences, Department of Medical Sciences and Biotechnology, G. D’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy; ² Pharmaceutical Biology, Phytochemistry, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany; ³ Department of Angiology and Vascular Surgery, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; ⁴ IAPSS, the International Agency for Pharma Standard Supplements

BACKGROUND: The aim of this registry study was the evaluation of symptoms of fatigue following supplementation with an oak wood extract (Robuvit®) after disappearance of acute symptoms. Robuvit®, with established antioxidant-antifatigue activity, has been successfully used in hepatic failure and in chronic fatigue syndrome: these conditions are characterized by weakness and fatigue and are broadly comparable to convalescence that is associated to increased oxidative stress.
METHODS: The registry study lasted 3 weeks. After a period (7-10 days) of flu, during the post-disease period (3 days without disease) subjects were included into the study. One group of subjects was supplemented with Robuvit® (300 mg/day) in addition to a standard management (SM) plan, another group of patients was treated with the standard management only.
RESULTS: The SM and the supplement group were comparable in all convalescence parameters at inclusion. Weakness and heart rate were significantly reduced with Robuvit® in comparison with the controls (P<0.05) at 10 days and at 3 weeks; Attention and sleep patterns improved significantly at 3 weeks with Robuvit® (P<0.05) in comparison to controls. Recovery after efforts was normalized at 10 days in the supplement group, significantly better versus controls (P<0.05). O2 saturation increased significantly with Robuvit® at 10 days in comparison to controls (P<0.05). The alterations in working/concentration capacity were better improved with the supplement (P<0.05). Oxidative stress was significantly decreased (P<0.05) in comparison to controls. The improvement of health according to the Karrnofsky Scale was significantly more pronounced in the Robuvit® group (P<0.05). The supplement was well tolerated.
CONCLUSIONS: The causative relations between Robuvit® supplementation, oxidative stress, vigor and fatigue in convalescence need more specific evaluations in a larger number of subjects. This preliminary study may indicate a possible supplementation in convalescence.

KEY WORDS: Fatigue - Robuvit - Quercus - Convalescence - Oxidative stress - Karnofsky performance status