Curcumin supplementation likely attenuates delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
Nicol LM, et al
Published in European Journal of Applied Physiology
Methodology
Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled crossover trial; oral curcumin 2.5 g twice daily from 2 days before to 3 days after unaccustomed heavy eccentric single-leg press exercise with 14-day washout; measurements at baseline and 0, 24 and 48 hours of visual analogue limb pain, muscle swelling, single-leg jump height and serum markers of damage and inflammation; standardised magnitude-based inference used to define outcomes.
Key Findings
Seventeen men completed a double-blind randomised crossover trial of curcumin 2.5 g twice daily versus placebo, taken from 2 days before to 3 days after heavy eccentric single-leg press exercise, with a 14-day washout. At 24 and 48 hours after exercise curcumin produced moderate-to-large reductions in pain during single-leg squat (-1.4 to -1.7 on a 10 cm scale), gluteal stretch (-1.0 to -1.9) and squat jump (-1.5 to -1.1), plus small reductions in creatine kinase (22-29%). Single-leg jump performance rose by about 15%, while interleukin-6 rose 31% immediately post-exercise and 32% at 48 hours relative to baseline but fell 20% at 24 hours relative to the post-exercise value.
Conclusions
Oral curcumin likely reduces pain associated with DOMS with some evidence for enhanced recovery of muscle performance.
Limitations
Only 17 men in a crossover design, using magnitude-based inference rather than conventional significance testing, with wide confidence limits on every estimate; effects on real sport or work performance were not tested.
Supplements Studied
Oral curcumin likely reduces pain associated with DOMS with some evidence for enhanced recovery of muscle performance.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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