Hi Andrew:
If you want to help carry O2 around your body, the best supplement to your diet would be exercise. Ginkgo biloba is unlikely to help.
Ginkgo biloba is a tree and extracts from its leaves are marketed for a number of uses. Ginkgo biloba extracts have some real pharmacological properties. The EGb761 extract from Ginkgo biloba has antioxidant properties and is a nitric oxide free radical scavenger. (Specifically it seems to be the flavinoids in the EGb761 extract that are antioxidants. Flavinoids are found in many foods.) Ginkgo biloba extract increases cognitive functions in people with Alzheimer's disease somewhat, increases blood flow in the ophthalmic (eye) artery, and in people with impaired circulation in their legs it will lengthen the distance that they can walk some.
The problem is, there's no real evidence that Ginkgo biloba increases cognitive function in people who don't have an impairment or that it increases athletic performance or stamina in people who don't have circulatory problems. I'm not aware of any studies that show that Ginkgo biloba increases oxygen delivery to normal tissues.
Ginkgo biloba has pharmacological effects, but just because it's "all natural" doesn't mean that it is without the potential for side effects. One of the ways it seems to increase circulation in people with blocked arteries is to impair platelet (blood clotting cell) function. There are reports of people developing spontaneous bleeding on Ginkgo biloba. It may also decrease fertility and its extracts have immunotoxic properties. The risk of a serious side effect is low, but think about it. If you expect a drug to have a serious effect, why would you expect to be immune from serious side effects?
Another problem with "all natural" drugs is that you never really know what you're getting. How much of the active ingredient is in each pill? How long were the leaves off the tree before they were processed? How were the active ingredients affected by the processing? How do fillers and binders in the pill affect the absorbtion and utilization of the active ingredients? Most often even the manufacturer has no idea.
If you want to take Ginkgo biloba it probably won't hurt you (except in the wallet depending on where you get it), and it may have a profound effect on your athletic performance if you believe that it will. The brain is a very powerful organ. Frankly, I think that you'd be better off with a good balanced diet and an active exercise program.
HTH,
Bill
