- Title: JAPAN: HORNET JUICE THE SECRET BEHIND JAPAN'S BEHIND OLYMPIC MARATHON SUCCESS
- Date: 18th October 2000
- Summary: WAKO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 18, 2000) (REUTERS) DR. TAKASHI ABE, RESEARCH CHEMIST OF THE HORNET RESEARCH GROUP, INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL RESEARCH TAKING SLEEPING HORNETS OUT OF JAR SLEEPING HORNETS ON BED OF ICE HORNETS BUZZING IN CAGE VARIOUS OF HORNETS IN CAGE ABE WITH NESTS CLOSE UP OF LARVAE BEING TAPPED ON THE HEAD AND SECRETING ABE MOVING NEST LARVAE, HORNET COCOONS IN CELLS OF NEST (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) ABE SAYING: "The liquid which is secreted from the mouth of the larvae of the vespa mandarinia hornet consists mainly of amino acids. Substances such as proline and glycine are abundant in this liquid and it is very unusual for such an amino acid mixture to exist in the natural world" HORNET LARVA SECRETING SALIVA AFTER BEING TAPPED ON THE HEAD HORNET WANDERING OVER COCOONS IN NEST LOOKING FOR LARVAE HORNET FINDS LARVA, STICKS HEAD INTO CELL TO SUCK THE SALIVA (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) ABE SAYING: "When we exercise, we burn sugar and glycogen for energy but when the liquid from the hornet larvae is drunk, then rather than sugar, fat is burned to create energy" HORNET COMING OUT OF COCOON WIDE OF ABE IN LAB
- Embargoed: 2nd November 2000 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WAKO AND TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Health,Science,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA5K8P6CSVXAPKNFZDJ3BK23ST6
- Story Text: A Japanese scientist has revealed the secret which propelled a young marathon star to Olympic gold in Sydney - hornet juice, a substance that boosts human endurance, but does not fall foul of Olympic laws against performance-enhancing drugs.
What do an Olympic gold medal-winning marathon runner and giant Japanese killer hornets have in common? Both get their strength from the saliva of hornet larvae.
Japanese marathon runner Naoko Takahashi who won gold in the women's marathon in Sydney has been drinking the saliva in the form of a energy drink for years and has said the juice was a "crucial factor" in her Olympic success.
The killer hornets, or vespa mandarinia, are about four to five centimetres long and can fly a hundred metres in a matter of nine seconds. They travel up to 95km (57 miles) per day hunting for smaller bees and insects.
The hornets which have a sting strong enough to kill a human or even a horse, are not carnivorous, but they kill insects, chew them up in their powerful jaws and carry back the bug meat to the larvae waiting in the hive.
There, the hornets feed the insect flesh to the larvae, which live in separate cells, and get drops of larval saliva in exchange. This substance, which consists mostly of amino acids is the secret behind physical endurance.
Research chemist Takashi Abe of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research conducted exhaustive tests on the saliva, capturing live hornets, digging out their hives from the ground and extracting the juice from the wriggling larvae by tapping them on their heads.
"The liquid which is secreted from the mouth of the larvae of the vespa mandarinia hornet consists mainly of amino acids. Substances such as proline and glycine are abundant in this liquid and it is very unusual for such an amino acid mixture to exist in the natural world," he said.
"When we exercise, we burn sugar and glycogen for energy but when the liquid from the hornet larvae is drunk, then rather than sugar, fat is burned to create energy," Abe added.
Abe has patented his discovery, and Meiji Milk Products Co Ltd has created an energy drink for the average consumer.
VAAM, which is the acronym for vespa amino acid mixture, can be found at drug stores, the local convenience store or even the vending machine at the gym.
And for only 250 yen ($2.32) a can, the run-down and weary can enjoy a drink with a bit of sting in it. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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