Ginkgo Biloba en medicina deportiva

Setratadel llamado árbol de los cuarenta escudos, es un árbol único en el mundo, sin parientes vivos, de modo que constituye uno de los mejores ejemplos de fósil viviente conocido. Tiene uno de los portes más hermosos que yo he visto (lo vi por primera vez en el parque de Quevedo y Villegas, junto al Parador Nacional San Marcos, de León).
La hoja de ginkgo se usaba en China para tratar el asma y los trastornos cardiovasculares, sin embargo, el uso tradicional de la hoja tiene un uso muy reciente en Occidente. En la actualidad, los extractos concentrados estandarizados de hoja de ginkgo se comercializan en varios países europeos y se usan para tratar déficit cognitivo, claudicación intermitente (producida generalmente por alguna enfermedad oclusiva arterial periférica), vértigo y acúfenos de origen vascular.
Suaplicaciónenmedicinadeportivasebasaenque,supuestamente,mejoralacaptación de la glucosa y el oxígeno bajo condiciones de isquemia, estimulando la glucolisis aeróbicaypromoviendoelaclaramientodellactato.Tambiénse usaenpatologíaporaltitud, particularmente en el mal de montaña.
El extracto de Ginkgo Biloba capta varias especies reactivas de oxígeno, incluidos los radicales hidroxilo, superóxido y peroxilo y se ha descrito que protege contra el estrés oxidativo inducido por el peróxido de hidrógeno, en neuronas y células granulares del cerebelo de rata (por esa razón se ha empleado en pacientes con enfermedad mental). Por otro lado, la incubación con extracto en cultivos de células del hipocampo de rata, proporcionó protección frente a la muerte celular inducida por β-amiloide, contra la toxicidad inducida por peróxido de hidrógeno, y bloqueó los procesos inducidos por β-amiloide, como la acumulación de especies reactivas de oxígeno (es el argumento de su posible uso en el Alzheimer, cosa que se pone en cuestión en la actualidad).
La sospecha actual (porque no se puede hablar de certeza científica) es que los mecanismos de defensa del Ginkgo y su alta esperanza de vida (del propio árbol), se deben a cinco substancias que se encuentran solo en los Ginkgos, los ginkgolidos (compuestos de seis anillos con cinco átomos de carbono, que están enlazados mutuamente en una manera insólita). Las pruebas que se han realizado con uno o algunos componentes de las hojas de Ginkgo han tenido resultados decepcionantes, lo que induce a pensar en un efecto sinérgico y único.
Mi experiencia en medicina deportiva (en neurología utilizan el Ginkgo para mejorar la función cognitiva), la he obtenido en dos campos, por un lado en el tratamiento del asma de esfuerzo, en colaboración con medidas higiénicas (calentamiento previo, ejercicio en medio húmedo y cálido etc) y en sinergismo con el DHA (Brudy Plus). De otro lado, su uso en la prevención del mal de montaña, en donde también ha sido muy satisfactorio, aunque en este tema también hay factores que contaminan la experiencia, ya que uno no sabe bien la jerarquía exacta en el conjunto de medidas entre las que se incluyen aclimatación, descanso, experiencia previa etc.
En cualquier caso, el extracto de Ginkgo Biloba cuando es de confianza y se usa por profesionales con experiencia, es muy útil. Sin embargo, cuando se usa por autoprescripción o por personal no experto, puede ser peligroso, ya que puede causar hemorragias, disminuir el umbral convulsivo en pacientes predispuestos o alterar la metabolización de fármacos en el hígado (citocromo P450)
Interaccionesy efectos secundariosNo se debe administrar junto a anticoagulantes (warfarina); hierba de San Juan; Ibuprofeno
Hayquetenercuidadocuandosedaconjuntamenteconalprazolam,antiepilépticos, buspirona, fluoxetina e hidroclorotiazida
Un enlace de un enamorado del árbol:
http://kwanten.home.xs4all.nl/espindex.htm

Bibliografía (para los más interesados)

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