Applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Exercise-Induced Fatigue and Sports Injuries

Junzhe Zhai

doi:10.54254/2753-8818/2025.AU27757

Theoretical and Natural ScienceOpen access

Applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Exercise-Induced Fatigue and Sports Injuries

Research Article

Open Access

Applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Exercise-Induced Fatigue and Sports Injuries

Junzhe Zhai ^1*

¹ Vassar college

^*Corresponding author: jzhai@vassar.edu

Published on 14 October 2025

TNS Vol.141

ISSN (Print): 2753-8826

ISSN (Online): 2753-8818

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-395-6

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-396-3

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Abstract

Exercise-induced fatigue and sports injuries represent interconnected challenges for athletes: fatigue disrupts energy metabolism, redox balance, immune function, and endocrine homeostasis, elevating the risk of overuse injuries and delaying return to sport. Addressing this multisystem issue is crucial for safe and timely athlete rehabilitation. This paper explores traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions for exercise-induced fatigue and sports-related injuries, focusing on five key approaches: herbal remedies, bioactive polysaccharides, Tuina, acupuncture, and integrated TCM-Western rehabilitation. Herbal interventions enhance glycogen storage, stabilize blood glucose, and reduce lactate, urea, and triglyceride levels; they also regulate redox balance (e.g., Danshen improves antioxidant enzyme activity), suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines to modulate immune function, and optimize the testosterone-cortisol balance for endocrine homeostasis. Bioactive polysaccharides like those from Cassia seed lower lactate levels, extending exercise endurance. Combinations of Astragalus, Codonopsis and jujube alter amino acid metabolism and gut microbiota composition. When paired with functional training, Tuina and acupuncture reduce pain, accelerate recovery, and enhance intervention efficacy. Integrated TCM-Western programs further boost functional improvements and athletes’ readiness to return to play. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that TCM serves as an effective complementary approach, alleviating fatigue, facilitating injury recovery, supporting personalized care, and aligning with modern sports rehabilitation practices.

Keywords:

Traditional Chinese medicine, exercise-induced fatigue, sports injuries.

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References

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References

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Cite this article

Zhai,J. (2025). Applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Exercise-Induced Fatigue and Sports Injuries. Theoretical and Natural Science,141,63-69.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICBioMed 2025 Symposium: AI for Healthcare: Advanced Medical Data Analytics and Smart Rehabilitation

ISBN: 978-1-80590-395-6(Print) / 978-1-80590-396-3(Online)

Editor: Alan Wang

Conference website: https://2025.icbiomed.org/auckland.html

Conference date: 17 October 2025

Series: Theoretical and Natural Science

Volume number: Vol.141

ISSN: 2753-8818(Print) / 2753-8826(Online)

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