Does anyone drink extract from hornet?

[Doctor]

Does anyone drink extract from hornet?
Wasn't it used by athletes as a dope? Or maybe it still is?

[fiveworlds]

So was milk of the poppy (opium)

Edited July 31, 2014 by fiveworlds

[Moontanman]

I've had a few hornets chase me close to a marathon distance but I never heard of drinking them, their venom or just squash em up?

[Endy0816]

There is a sort of Japanese sports drink. Saliva from young hornets is supposed to offer bennefits in terms of performance.

 

I have zero idea about the effectiveness. Couldn't really find anything in the way of research papers(besides into properties of venom). OP may want to check fitness ehancement pages and see if there has been any sort of rough experimentation done.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Endy0816

[EdEarl]

Bird spit soup is a specialty.

Ezekiel Bread I will not describe here.

And, many other incredible things.

But, not for me.

[Acme]

There is a sort of Japanese sports drink. Saliva from young hornets is supposed to offer bennefits in terms of performance.

 

I have zero idea about the effectiveness. Couldn't really find anything in the way of research papers(besides into properties of venom). OP may want to check fitness ehancement pages and see if there has been any sort of rough experimentation done.

There has been more than rough experimentation done, however the prime researcher is keeping things close to his nest...erhm... vest.

 

This article is from 2000. >>Japan Abuzz Over Hornet Saliva As High-Tech Sports Drink: November 3, 2000

 

...Because of their constricted trunks, adult hornets cant eat their catch. Instead, they feed them to their young larvae, and then in a new twist on nursing, swallow the babies saliva. Thats the source of the hornets strength.

 

Abe tested his amino acid mixture on swimming mice and found that it works to improve physiological condition during endurance exercises. The mixture apparently burns fat and reduces muscle fatigue during exercise.

 

In 1995, [Takashi]Abe published extensive details of his analysis in the Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine. He is now holed up in his lab to come up with a stronger formula that he hopes could be used for diets or the extension of life, he said. Beyond that, hes not talking. Its something secret, said Abe. ...

Don't tell anyone, but I'm secretly working on a bee pee formula for the Japanes market.

[Phi for All]

Don't tell anyone, but I'm secretly working on a bee pee formula for the Japanes market.

 

It takes me forever to pull beeswax from their little ears, I can't imagine what you have to go through.

[Moontanman]

I think anyone who could milk a hornet is bad to the bone...

[Acme]

I think anyone who could milk a hornet is bad to the bone...

To be clear they aren't 'milking' hornets, they are collecting their spit. Even so, bad-to-the-bone would not be my description of choice. Something along the lines of whack me thinks.

[Endy0816]

The assorted articles just strike me as being "off". One is on a promotional site, another in a student area of NY Times and a third on ABC but without an author listed.

 

After a bit of digging we find:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12831267

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20609003

 

Which are much more reasonable sounding. The second of the two also describes VAAM as being "similar to that produced by hornet (Vespa mandarina) larvae" to the relief of hornet larvae everywhere, I'm sure.

 

Based on the results sounds like there may be some valid enhancement, but there also seems to be no small amount of hype.

 

Note: L-trytophan is reported to be a component. Imported L-trytophan has caused issues in the past.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Endy0816

[lizardlady]

There is use of bee sting therapy in the Holistic World with the idea that it causes an immunity response, thereby helping with autoimmune diseases.

 

I don't think there has been any actual proof that this works.

Edited October 3, 2014 by lizardlady

[Carrock]

There is use of bee sting therapy in the Holistic World with the idea that it causes an immunity response, thereby helping with autoimmune diseases.

 

I don't think there has been any actual proof that this works.

I recall reading a long time ago that beekeepers rarely get arthritis.

 

There are a lot of dubious claims but this seems pretty definitive:

 

CONCLUSION:

 

Combined application of bee-venom therapy and medication is superior to simple use of medication in relieving RA, and when bee-sting therapy used, the commonly-taken doses of western medicines may be reduced, and the relapse rate gets lower.

( ref http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18807725 )