Turmeric Curcumin: Uses for Athletes and for Health Solutions

by Melinda Burris Willms

Use of turmeric curcumin has exploded in recent years, as scientific research highlighting its benefits for athletes seeking remedies for inflammation and muscle soreness have been heavily reported. This article discusses the many beneficial uses of turmeric documented by scientific evidence. How and when turmeric should be taken is also discussed.

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Turmeric and Neuroinflammation

Neuroinflammation is a condition that occurs when pro-inflammatory cytokines are released by the body and carried to the brain. Symptoms of neuroinflammation include decreased mental capacity, lethargy, brain fog and increased stress and anxiety levels. Aside from these short-term side effects, neuroinflammation can be hazardous because it increases the likelihood of developing brain illnesses such as depression in the future.¹

Turmeric/curcumin is a strong and effective anti-inflammatory. Curcumin refers to

turmeric’s active ingredient. Numerous scientific studies have concluded that turmeric has an efficacy rate equal to that offered by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and Naprosyn. Turmeric is often seen as the better choice, as NSAIDs block important hormones from being released by the body. NSAIDs also impede the release of enzymes by the body that facilitate blood flow to the heart and other organs. As a result, NSAID use has been determined to be a risk factor for heart disease. ¹

While the usage of turmeric as a supplement has escalated among athletes as evidence of its

benefits as an inflammatory have emerged, athletes must time how and when they take turmeric based on their desired outcomes. This is because turmeric decreases inflammation by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, these same pro-inflammatory cytokines serve a useful purpose in allowing for bulking up and increasing strength and speed. With this thought in mind, athletes should take turmeric when they have reached peak physical condition and their focus is on increasing the rate of recovery to assist best possible performances while in competition.¹

Other Health Benefits Linked to Turmeric

As an anti-inflammatory agent, turmeric has been shown to be an antioxidant and an effective part of treatment for a range of health conditions from cancer and cardiovascular disease to neurological and metabolic disease states.

Scientific findings released in April 2017 compared the effects of curcumin supplementation and placebo in a double-blind study. Subjects chosen for inclusion in the study did so on a voluntary basis and consisted of 30 healthy men and 29 healthy women, aged 20-22 years. Over the course of the study, researchers compared low doses of curcuminoids (50 mg), higher doses (200 mg), and placebo given to participants following the completion of a stress exercise protocol given at different times, ranging from just after completion of the exercise to up to three days later.³

Study participants were tested by measuring the amount of creatine kinase in their bloodstreams following the exercise protocol. The presence of high levels of the enzyme creatine kinase (CK) is an indicator of muscle damage. Study participants who were given curcuminoid supplements showed reduced amounts of creatine kinase in comparison to subjects who were given placebos.³

This study took place over an eight-week time span and found that curcuminoids are effective in reducing muscle soreness and damage incurred through exercise. The use of curcuminoids was also credited with speeding up recovery times.³ Curcumin is a form of turmeric, with prepared nutritional supplements generally containing between two and five percent of curcumin.³

How Supplied

Turmeric is a root and spice commonly used in Asian foods.⁴ It is available as a powder, in capsule form, and as an essential oil that can be mixed with a carrier oil and then applied topically. If you are taking turmeric as a nutritional supplement, you need to make sure it has black pepper (piperine) added to boost the absorption rate of turmeric. Without the addition of black pepper, a very small percentage of turmeric is absorbed by the body with the majority of the supplement being excreted out.

The research supporting turmeric use as an inflammatory agent and for a host of other health benefits is voluminous. However, if you are considering adding turmeric (curcumin) supplementation to your nutritional routine, there are some important factors you should keep in mind:

• Speak to your coach or trainer and ascertain where you are in your training schedule and whether the recovery benefits of turmeric will be helpful to you in reaching your goals, or whether you are still in the process of bulking up and need to avoid the suppression of proinflammatory cytokines triggered by turmeric use.
• Make sure you take your turmeric supplementation with black pepper. Adding this ingredient will increase your rate of turmeric absorption. Prepared capsules will have this added as piperine. If you are using another form of turmeric you may need to add black pepper and a fat such as coconut oil to facilitate a better absorption rate.¹
• Turmeric has been demonstrated to be effective in treating a wide variety of conditions, including depression, osteoarthritis, hay fever, high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and itching as a symptom experienced by patients suffering with long-term kidney disease or exposure to mustard gas.⁴ If you are dealing with one of these health conditions or regularly take NSAID pain relievers, you may want to discuss the possibility of using turmeric to treat the disease.
• Turmeric dosage: While most often administered in 500 mg doses given twice a day, the recommended dosage of turmeric varies depending on the condition being treated. This underscores the need to discuss treatment with turmeric with your health care professional.

References

1. Binning, C. (26 August 2018). Neuroinflammation: Using Turmeric to Optimize Brain & Athletic Performance.
2. DellaBartolomea, M. (2017). What’s Hot in the Industry: Curcumin.
3. DellaBartolomea, M . (2017). Study Links Curcumin in Turmeric to Sports Performance and Recovery.
4. WebMD. (2005-2019). Turmeric.

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