By: Andrew Youck, Nutrition & Dietetics Graduate Student Now more than ever, the popularity of herbal supplements has grown primarily due to the push for utilizing “natural” substances to heal the body. One such supplement is turmeric and its extract, curcumin. Proponents of this supplement claim it will reduce inflammation, thus, alleviating symptoms of arthritis or other joint complications like injuries suffered during sport competition. This is all well and good, but where does the current research stand? Currently, there are two proposed benefits of turmeric supplementation. The first being joint pain relief and the second is enhanced recovery following exercise. Turmeric’s effect on reducing joint pain has some good research backing its effectiveness, but most, if not all, the studies are conducted with elderly populations who have diagnosed arthritis. One research team compared knee pain levels between two groups of people with arthritis, where one took turmeric, and one took ibuprofen every day for 4 weeks. After the trial period, they found that both groups decreased pain to the same degree and had better function (Kuptniratsaikul et al., 2014). This of course is great news, but can this result directly apply athletes? The short answer is no. This is due to factors such as arthritis patients having high levels of inflammation which are not typically found in athletes. Knowing this, it is difficult and nearly impossible to make the claim that an athlete with mild knee pain due to wear and tear from sport will benefit from this supplement at all, though this idea deserves much more research! Another area of interest is turmeric’s impact on recovery. To assess this, male long-distance runners were instructed to take the supplement for 29 days then run a half marathon. Following the race, it was found that those taking turmeric had less muscle damage and it was hypothesized that they would have better recovery. This study is the first of its kind and gives promising results to other potential uses for turmeric, especially in athletes. Though there are a couple reasons why this one study is not enough to make the claim that turmeric enhances recovery. First, researchers instructed the participants to eat their typical diet and follow their typical training schedule. This means that some could have been using other supplements or training more frequently than others. Both factors could influence the results more so than the supplementation with turmeric. A better design would be to give all participants the same meals and have them follow the same workouts. Second, this study has yet to be confirmed by further research. Before concrete claims can be made, multiple studies need to conclude with the same results. The anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric supplements are becoming more well documented, and some trials show that it can be beneficial at reducing arthritis induced knee pain as well as enhancing post-exercise recovery. At this time, advising athletes to take turmeric supplements cannot be done, but that does not mean there aren’t other ways to increase turmeric intake in a safe manor. For example, a golden milk latte is a great way to diversify the diet in an easy and non-intimidating way. Head over to the recipe tab to check it out! I recommend enjoying this warm drink just before bed to help you relax and get quality sleep which will increase performance far better than any supplement can. References Faria, F. R., Gomes, A. C., Antunes, A., Rezende, K. R., Pimentel, G. D., Oliveira, C. L. P., Antunes, B. M., Lira, F. S., Aoki, M. S., & Mota, J. F. (2020). Effects of turmeric extract supplementation on inflammation and muscle damage after a half-marathon race: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. European journal of applied physiology, 120(7), 1531–1540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04385-7 Kuptniratsaikul, V., Dajpratham, P., Taechaarpornkul, W., Buntragulpoontawee, M., Lukkanapichonchut, P., Chootip, C., Saengsuwan, J., Tantayakom, K., & Laongpech, S. (2014). Efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter study. Clinical interventions in aging, 9, 451–458. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S58535
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April 2023
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