Turmeric supplementation improves markers of recovery in elite male footballers: a pilot study

Abstract

Football match-play causes muscle damage and provokes an inflammatory response. Rapid recovery is paramount to optimising subsequent performance and reducing injury risk. Turmeric contains high concentrations of curcumin, a polyphenol that has been shown to reduce muscle damage and soreness post-exercise in recreational exercisers. However, it is unknown whether a curcumin-containing supplement can support elite footballers recovery between matches. This applied study explored whether a turmeric supplement could improve performance, subjective and physiological markers of recovery, in elite male footballers. Twenty-four elite male footballers divided into a turmeric group, who consumed 60 mL of a turmeric drink twice per day, or a control group who did not. After 96 h of rest, baseline measurements of subjective soreness (leg and whole-body), plasma creatine kinase ([CK]), plasma C-reactive protein ([CRP]), isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) and counter movement jump (CMJ), were collected. Following eight competitive matches, subjective leg and whole-body soreness and plasma concentrations of inflammation markers ([CK] and [CRP]) were assessed immediately (0 h), 40 and 64 h post-match. Performance markers (IMTP and CMJ) were also assessed at 40 and 64 h post-match. Percentage change from baseline showed a main effect of group (p = 0.035, p = 0.005) and time (p = 0.002, p = 0.002) for both leg and whole-body soreness, respectively. There was a group by time interaction effect (p = 0.049) for [CRP]. There were no effects of turmeric on [CK], CMJ or IMTP. This applied study is the first in elite footballers to show that a curcumin-containing supplementation may attenuate a biomarker of inflammation [CRP] and soreness post-match play.

Combined Turmeric, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D Ready-to-Drink Supplements Reduce Upper Respiratory Illness Symptoms and Gastrointestinal Discomfort in Elite Male Football Players

“…Plasma [CRP] increased 40 h post-match, but the increase was attenuated in the supplementation period compared to the control period. This provides tentative support to our previous study that found a turmeric-containing supplement (70 g/d) reduced [CRP] in elite male footballers compared to a non-supplementation group [ 23 ]. CRP is a protein secreted by the liver that correlates with systemic inflammation [ 52 ].…”

“…In the current study, daily supplementation persisted through the pre- and post-exercise period. The curcumin dose was lower than a previous study [ 23 ] but similar to [ 20 ], or greater than [ 48 ], other studies that have reported a positive effect on subjective soreness after exercise. Contextual and external factors can inevitably influence a subjective perception of soreness, and these factors are difficult to control in elite sportspeople.…”

“…There were no differences in plasma [CK] within or between trials, which reflects a previous turmeric supplementation study on elite footballers [ 23 ]. CK is a biomarker protein for muscle damage [ 56 ].…”

“…Despite within-trial [CRP] differences after match-play, there were no differences between trials after correction for multiple comparisons. This could be due to the turmeric dose (17.5 g/d), estimated to provide ~700 mg of curcumin, which was lower than the 70 g/d (~2800 mg/d curcumin) dose previously shown to reduce plasma [CRP] in elite footballers [ 23 ]. However, the supplement provided also contained vitamin C, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties [ 55 ].…”

“…Curcumin, found in turmeric, has been shown to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness and accelerate the restoration of muscle function [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Supplementing professional footballers with 70 g of turmeric root per day (approximately 1400 mg of curcumin) can reduce the markers of inflammation and perceived muscle soreness after match-play [ 23 ]. There is also some evidence that curcumin, vitamin D, and vitamin C can all improve gut barrier functioning and influence gut microbiota [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”