Curcumin May Reduce Muscle Damage After Exercise

All exercise causes a slight bit of muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness, which can impact daily living activities. A recent study suggests that taking an optimized curcumin supplement may lower markers of inflammation and muscle damage following exercise.

Participants in the study included 28 people with an average age of 20 who were given either 400 mg of curcumin or a placebo for two days. Following the supplementation period, all of the participants took part in a leg press exercise and then were followed for an additional four days.

The researchers found that the both groups had increases in creatine kinase, which is a marker of muscle damage. However, the curcumin group had levels that were 45% lower than the placebo group. Additionally, the curcumin group had 25% lower increases in TNF-alpha and 21% lower increases in IL-8 than the placebo group. Both TNF-alpha and IL-8 are markers of inflammation.

There was no notable difference in IL-6, IL-10, or quadriceps muscle soreness between the two groups.

Researchers from the University of North Texas conducted the study. It was published in the June 2016 issue of BBA Clinical.

Curcumin has been used in folk remedies for years to ease menstrual cramping, help heal wounds, and to improve the appearance of skin. Recent studies have suggested that it may also protect against prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and arthritis. All of these benefits are attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin.