Andrea Robinson

Status:

Mentor: 
Dr. Brian K. McFarlin
Research Topic: 
Anti-inflammatory Actions of Curcumin During Muscle Recovery from Injury
Abstract: 
There is increasing interest in nutritional therapies that can be used to manage post-exercise muscle inflammation and soreness. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of oral curcumin supplementation to alter muscle recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage. In a randomized double-blind study, twenty-eight non-resistance trained subjects (19 –34 y) were assigned curcumin (400mg/d) or placebo (rice flour) condition during muscle recovery from 60 repetitions of 45°leg press exercise. Serum creatine kinase (CK) and subjective rating of muscle soreness were used as indicators of muscle recovery. Results revealed that the curcumin group had 48% less serum CK (P=0.007), than placebo. No significant differences were found for subjective muscle soreness. Thus, the key finding of the present study was that oral curcumin supplementation significantly reduced indicators of muscle injury, but not soreness. To elucidate potential actions of oral curcumin supplementation in a sports nutrition setting continued studies are needed.
Alma Mater: 
B.S. Kinesiology | University of North Texas 2016