Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jun;27(2):34-38.
doi: 10.20463/pan.2023.0016. Epub 2023 Jun 30.

Effect of curcumin supplementation on inflammatory status and muscle damage in competitive female soccer players: a placebo-controlled, singleblind, nonrandomized, crossover pilot study

Youngju Choi  1   2 , Song-Gyu Ra  2   3 , Takahiko Nishijima  2 , Seiji Maeda  2   4
Affiliations

Effect of curcumin supplementation on inflammatory status and muscle damage in competitive female soccer players: a placebo-controlled, singleblind, nonrandomized, crossover pilot study

Youngju Choi et al. Phys Act Nutr. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: Curcumin, a major component of turmeric, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, which are associated with protective effects against muscle damage. This study examined the effects of dietary curcumin on inflammation and muscle damage in female competitive soccer players.

Methods: A single-blinded, placebo-controlled, nonrandomized, crossover pilot study was conducted. Six competitive female soccer players (20.0 ± 2.0 yearsold) who participated in a 2-week preseason training program were assigned to two conditions: placebo and curcumin. The participants ingested a placebo or curcumin dosage (270 mg/day) during 2 weeks of preseason training, with 1 week of washout. Fasting blood samples were collected under resting conditions before (day 0) and after (day 15) the training period to examine changes in the concentration of interleukin 6 (IL-6), an inflammatory marker, and indices reflective of muscle damage.

Results: Curcumin decreased the concentration of IL-6 released (mean decrease, -30.2 ± 28.1%), whereas no decrease was observed in the placebo condition (13.4 ± 17.4%). Changes in plasma IL-6 concentrations were significantly greater in the curcumin condition than in the placebo condition (p < 0.05). However, curcumin supplementation had no significant effects on muscle damage indices.

Conclusion: The present study shows that curcumin supplementation could attenuate inflammation, as indicated by IL-6 concentrations, in competitive female soccer players during the training period.

Keywords: athletes; curcumin; inflammation; muscle damage; plasma IL-6; supplementation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Schematic illustration of the experimental protocol. Suppl, supplementation; Blood, blood sampling; Measurements, measurements of resting blood pressure and heart rate; Questionnaire, questionnaire including participant characteristics and preseason soccer training.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Changes in plasma IL-6 levels in the curcumin and placebo conditions. *P < 0.05 vs. placebo condition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Clarkson PM, Sayers SP. Etiology of exercise-induced muscle damage. Can J Appl Physiol. 1999;24:234–48. - PubMed
    1. Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness:treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Med. 2003;33:145–64. - PubMed
    1. Maheshwari RK, Singh AK, Gaddipati J, Srimal RC. Multiple biological activities of curcumin: a short review. Life Sci. 2006;78:2081–7. - PubMed
    1. Ghandadi M, Sahebkar A. Curcumin: an effective inhibitor of interleukin-6. Curr Pharm Des. 2017;23:921–31. - PubMed
    1. Huang WC, Chiu WC, Chuang HL, Tang DW, Lee ZM, Wei L, Chen FA, Huang CC. Effect of curcumin supplementation on physiological fatigue and physical performance in mice. Nutrients. 2015;7:905–21. - PMC - PubMed

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources