Exercise

Hesperidin and curcumin boosted performance and recovery

Hesperidin increased antioxidant capacity

The antioxidant hesperidin comes from oranges. In this study, 40 amateur cyclists, aged 18 to 55, with healthy weight, took a placebo or 500 mg of hesperidin per day over a period of eight weeks, during which they completed five cycling tests of sustainable and maximum power. Before each of the five tests, participants ate the same breakfast of measured carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids.

While there was no improvement for placebo, those taking hesperidin saw an increase of 3.2 percent in sustainable threshold power—the level of force that can be steadily maintained—and a 2.7 percent increase in maximum power to exhaustion. During recovery, superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels increased, raising antioxidant capacity, and markers for oxidative stress and inflammation decreased.

Reference: Antioxidants; 2021, Vol. 10, No. 3, 432, Published Online

Curcumin reduced muscle damage, inflammation

Exhausting, unusual exercise can damage muscle, and lead to delayed soreness, weakness, and inflammation. Many earlier studies have found curcumin reduced inflammation. In this review of five studies covering 98 sedentary but healthy young men and women, participants took a placebo or 180 to 400 mg of curcumin per day, for two days to four weeks.

The acute exercises included free weights, leg presses, maximum jump height, and a cycling challenge. Compared to placebo, curcumin reduced levels of inflammatory factors creatine kinase, ammonia, interleukin-6 and -8, and tumor necrosis factor alpha; and increased maximum contraction power and range of motion. The curcumin group also reported less fatigue compared to placebo.

Reference: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Therapeutics involved in Inflammatory Disorders and Tissue Repair; Vol. 2021, Article ID 9264639