Influence of Menthol on Recovery From Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Abstract

Gillis, DJ, Vellante, A, Gallo, JA, and D'Amico, AP. Influence of menthol on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-This study assessed the influence of menthol, a cold receptor agonist, on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Forty-seven healthy males were allocated to a Control (CON, n = 18), Placebo (P, n = 14), or 4.0% Menthol (M, n = 15) condition. Participants were familiarized with a testing battery (TB) including: perception of lower-body muscle soreness, hip flexion/abduction range of motion, vertical jump (VJ), and the agility T-test. Muscle damage was induced on day 1 using 40 × 15-m sprints with a 5-m deceleration zone. The TB immediately followed this and was repeated once-daily for 5 days. Over this time, participants in M and P applied gels to the lower body immediately after sprinting and twice-daily thereafter, whereas CON did nothing. Dependent variables were compared by condition using the Kruskal-Wallis test (α = 0.05), and mean differences with 90% confidence intervals were calculated with small, moderate, and large effects. A significant difference by condition (p < 0.05) in muscle soreness was found, and moderate to large effects were observed in the reduction of muscle soreness with P, compared with M or CON, indicating a placebo effect. A reduction in VJ height across all conditions was observed, with a significant effect (p < 0.05) by condition, and moderate to large effects (1-5 cm) were observed in its preservation with menthol, compared with P or CON. No other differences were observed. These findings raise the possibility that menthol influences recovery of lower-body power after EIMD, and this may have practical implications for menthol's use when recovery of muscle power is important.

Effect of Topical Sports Cream Containing Cymbopogon schoenanthus on Acute Recovery Markers Following Exercise-Induced Muscle Fatigue in Competitive Athletes: A Pilot Study

“…More importantly, their study focused on menthol-based cream. Their findings were supported by a recent study [35] that reported the effectiveness of methanol in promoting strength recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage.…”

Repeated Menthol Mouth Swilling Affects Neither Strength nor Power Performance

“…Practically, this may partially explain both Meamarbashi [ 15 ] and our findings, whereby a single dose of menthol may prove effective, but repeated application may act to inhibit contractile or associated enzymatic activity. It should be noted that this mechanism has also been proffered as an explanation for menthol’s analgesic effect [ 40 ], with alterations in regional cutaneous blood flow also observed [ 39 ], thus warranting investigation into repeated topical application of menthol during strength and power performance, beyond the work already conducted in facilitating recovery [ 41 , 42 , 43 ].…”

Menthol as an Ergogenic Aid for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games: An Expert-Led Consensus Statement Using the Modified Delphi Method

“…Menthol can be applied topically via creams, gels, or sprays [ 6 , 8 , 13 , 29 , 31 , 32 , 44 ], with timing of administration altered to suit the aim of the exercise bout and nature of menthol topical application. For instance, menthol applied as a spray prior to or repeatedly throughout an exercise bout has been shown to improve thermal comfort and sensation, but may alter athletes’ sweat rate [ 8 , 29 , 30 , 44 ], potentially presenting a conflict in thermoregulatory drives.…”