Can Anthocyanins Reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or Are We Barking Up the Wrong Tree?

Abstract

Exercise-induced muscular overload can trigger delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS is related to the indiscriminate use of analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without proper guidance, decreased physical exercise adherence and degenerating sports performance, increased risk of injury, and reduced muscle strength and function. Dietary anthocyanins have been extensively studied as potential natural treatments for DOMS, but the indication, dosage, and form of use remain highly variable. Therefore, this review aims to synergize and present evidence relating to the effect of anthocyanins on DOMS in clinical studies. Notably, the results of anthocyanin supplementation for DOMS were found to be inconclusive. The use of protocols with lower anthocyanin doses yielded better results than those with high-dose supplements, suggesting that anthocyanin-rich foods are more accessible as therapeutic tools, leading to the conclusion that these foods could be used to prevent and treat DOMS. However, consumption protocols for this purpose are not yet well established, and the answer is dependent on the methodological quality of future studies.

Keywords: dietary supplements; exercise; myalgia; phytochemicals.

Fig. 1

Concepts and authors involved in the development of the first reported DOMS mechanisms. DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness; EIMD, exercise-induced muscle damage.

Fig. 2

Potential triggering mechanisms of DOMS and the role of dietary anthocyanins in this process. DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha; ROS, reactive oxygen species; Nrf2, nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2; JAK/STAT, Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription; AP1, activator protein-1; NF-κB, nuclear transcription factor kappa B.