Curcumin Supplementation Alters Inflammatory Cytokines Following Exercise: 354 Board #192 May 29 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Nutritional supplementation is often misused as a component of a holistic approach to muscle recovery following exercise. Supplementation that reduces post exercise inflammation or muscle soreness might improve recovery time. PURPOSE: The phase 1 purpose was to evaluate different doses of a curcumin supplement following a bout of eccentric leg press. The phase 2 purpose was to determine if the effective curcumin dose from phase 1, could alter inflammation in an open-label, field-based model. METHODS: We consented self-reported healthy men and women to participate in the two phases of the study. In phase one, we tested a dose response for curcumin (Longvida) by comparing three doses (200, 400, & 1000 mg/d) to a placebo. In phase two, we evaluated a single dose of curcumin (1000 mg/d) combined with another polyphenol (pomegranate extract; Pomella; 1000 mg/d) endurance exercise model (half-marathon performance). Venous blood samples and analyzed for inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) using a bead-based multiplex assay and an automated analyzer. Creatine kinase was analyzed using an enzymatic assay on a biochemistry analyzer (ChemWell T). RESULTS: The 400 and 1000 mg doses were associated with a reduction in inflammatory cytokines and CK at 24 & 48-h after injury. Only the 1000 mg dose was associated with a reduction in subjective muscle soreness. The 200 mg dose responded in a similar manner as placebo (i.e. no reduction in muscle soreness or inflammation). When curcumin (1000 mg) was combined with pomegranate (1000 mg) in half-marathon runners, we found a significant reduction in inflammatory cytokines at 24-h post-race compared to pre-race. CONCLUSIONS: The key findings of this study suggest that the effectiveness of an oral curcumin supplement is dose-dependent and also activity-dependent. The combination of curcumin with pomegranate extract appeared to be more effective than curcumin alone at altering inflammation. More research is needed to identify how to incorporate curcumin and pomegranate supplementation into long-term exercise program.