4 Reasons why Athletes Should Use Curcumin to Improve Athletic Performance

4 Reasons why Athletes Should Use Curcumin to Improve Athletic Performance

Dr. Shivani Gupta
7 minute read

3 Key takeaways from this article:

  1. High-impact, high-intensity training stresses the body and can cause excessive inflammation that creates pain from decreased joint health and mobility.
  2. Curcumin, an active compound in turmeric has been proven to lower chronic inflammation.
  3. Athletes who take Curcumin supplements can maximize physical performance by recovering faster.

Athletes are supposed to push themselves emotionally and physically to improve their competitiveness. However, this frequently comes at the expense of their bodies.

Pushing your body to its limits can produce inflammation, which is a reaction of our immune system brought on by stress from muscle and tissue injury.

While some inflammation is necessary for muscle repair and adaptation, secondary muscle damage brought on by excessive inflammation can have several negative implications, like:

  • Reduced muscular strength and range of motion
  • Swelling
  • Delayed-onset muscle discomfort (DOMS) also known as muscle soreness and stiffness

The good news is that turmeric is an all-natural alternative that can provide you with the support you need to boost your immune system and lower inflammation.

Curcumin for Athletes

We all know that recovery is critical for preventing injury and increasing performance.

Turmeric is one of the most effective supplements for reducing minor aches and pains after a workout. As a result, turmeric for athletes is an excellent natural alternative to pain relievers.

curcumin for athletes

Turmeric has been used as an Ayurvedic medicine for around 4,000 years, making it one of the first documented herbal medications for holistic medicine in human history.

A recent study has discovered that curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, has a significant anti-inflammatory effect and can help reduce post-workout inflammation while also increasing joint health and mobility.

Athletes are always searching for a competitive advantage and taking Curcumin for athletes supplements, they can maximize their physical performance by recovering faster. 

4 Reasons Athletes Should Use Curcumin to Improve Performance

Reduced Muscle Soreness

Delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS comes from tiny tears in your muscles brought on by stress from exerting them through exercise. The stress shows up as inflammation and inflammation is responsible for the pain and soreness.

Turmeric for athletes has been shown to minimize muscular injury, lowering the likelihood of muscle inflammation. In a 2017 study , 59 moderately trained men and women were randomly given 50 mg, 200 mg, or a placebo for eight weeks. Those who took 200 mg had much lower degrees of pain following vigorous activity, as well as significantly lower levels of creatine kinase, a marker for muscle injury.

According to research published in the FASEB Journal, curcumin may help with muscle rehabilitation. The study showed that curcumin supplements minimize muscle damage and alleviate muscular soreness after a session of muscle-damaging exercise in healthy young volunteers. Faster recovery allows for more consistent training which may result in improved recovery and performance.

Curcumin Reduces Inflammation

Acute and chronic inflammation are produced by the body. Acute inflammation is a critical component of the immune response and the body's natural defense against damaged cells, viruses, and other potentially dangerous intruders. Chronic inflammation is systemic and can linger for months or years, causing a variety of health problems. Chronic inflammation is dangerous because it produces too many free radicals, which destroy the body's cells.

Curcumin, a highly active molecule found in turmeric, regulates the inflammatory response by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines. Turmeric for athletes is beneficial for those who engage in high-impact or high-intensity functional training. You may help minimize chronic inflammation and hence protect yourself from chronic illness and disease by taking Turmeric daily.

According to a 2008 study , curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties allow it to assist in regulating inflammation by influencing transcription factors, cytokines, protein kinases, enzymes, and many other sub-processes and chemicals involved in inflammation.

Benefits Joint Health and Mobility

Healthy exercise will often smooth the cartilage found in our joints, making them thicker and increasing the synovial fluid between the bones.

However, when we perform strenuous exercises regularly it can cause damage to the cartilage and increase the friction between bones bringing on pain and inflammation.

Several studies have shown (a2008 study and a 2016 study) that turmeric for athletes has a unique function and mechanism of action to alleviate arthritic pain, especially joint inflammation and mobility via lowering joint swelling.

Improve Heart Health

Inflammation can affect the lining of your heart, the valves, the heart muscle, and the tissue surrounding the heart.

Curcumin may help to nourish the endothelial cells that line the walls of your heart and blood vessels. It specifically aids these cells in the generation of nitric oxide, the chemical that permits your blood arteries to expand and pump blood throughout your body. Inadequate nitric oxide levels can contribute to impaired circulation and heart disease. A 2020 research, focused on the usage of curcumin in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

High-impact or high-intensity training stresses the body and can have both beneficial and negative effects on the immune system's optimal functioning. This can affect a person's susceptibility to infection. Curcumin in turmeric for athletes has been demonstrated to have immunomodulatory effects on a variety of immune system cells and organs.

Turmeric Vs NSAID painkillers: Which is better?

Ibuprofen is frequently used to treat exercise-induced pain and inflammation caused by injury. However, studies conducted over the last decade have contributed to a growing body of evidence suggesting that taking NSAID painkillers after a workout may be doing more harm than good, specifically to the GI tract in terms of damage and the musculoskeletal system in terms of muscle recovery, growth, and inflammation.

Many individuals use NSAID's after a hard workout to prevent post-workout inflammation and muscle discomfort.

Side Effects of Ibuprofen and other NSAID painkillers:

  • Nausea
  • Bloating
  • Gas
  • Heartburn
  • Itching skin or rash
  • Blurred vision
  • Ringing in the ears (Tinnitus)

In a four-week randomized controlled trial on knee osteoarthritis published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 367 participants were given 1,500mg of turmeric or 1,200mg of Ibuprofen each day. The results showed that taking 1,500 mg of turmeric supplement daily has anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities equivalent to taking 1,200 mg of ibuprofen.

Turmeric for athletes looks to be the safer more effective choice.

Turmeric Based Supplements for Athletes

Turmeric Gold

Each Turmeric Gold Capsule contains 500mg of Standardized Curcumin Extract, which has a high-quality concentration of just curcumin from curcuminoids at a 98% potency and is combined with Turmeric Powder and Black Pepper Extract to aid absorption.

Turmeric Gold

Turmeric Gold

$65.00

Here’s the #1 Reason Why You’ll Love this Proven Turmeric Supplement to Reduce Inflammation Potent Turmeric Supplement with Black Pepper to help reduce inflammation, give pain relief, and many health benefits. Turmeric Gold — Curcumin, an extract of turmeric, has proven… read more

Benefits

  • Reduces exercise-Induced Inflammation
  • Benefits Joint Health and Mobility
  • Reduces Muscle Soreness for faster recovery after each training session
  • Improves Heart Health

Inflammation Relief

Each Inflammation Relief capsule contains 400mg of our potent Curcumin Extract, which contains a high-quality concentration of only curcumin from curcuminoids at 98% grade potency, as well as 400mg of Guduchi, 150mg of Boswellia, and a group of herbs that, when combined in the proper order, reduce inflammation, increase the body's resistance to stress, and relieve chronic joint pain symptoms.

Benefits

  • Decrease active joint inflammation and stiffness
  • Helps repair damaged tissue and strengthens muscle
  • Targets acute inflammation and pain
  • Increases the body’s resistance to exercise-induced stress

Swelling & Bruising Relief

Each Swelling & Bruising Relief pill contains a potent combination of Arnica and Bromelain, which helps the body's natural capacity to heal by promoting cell regeneration and significantly lowering swelling, bruising, and inflammation, hence speeding total recovery time.

Benefits

  • Supports the body’s natural ability to heal by boosting cell regeneration and dramatically reducing swelling.
  • Helps to alleviate muscle soreness and spasms.
  • Restore the skin’s natural color.

In Conclusion

While the typical method for treating inflammation is through over-the-counter medicine like Ibuprofen and other NSAID pain relievers there is a much healthier option that can even be more effective.

Curcumin in turmeric is a healthy alternative that has been proven in many medical studies to help athletes reduce inflammation, recover faster and heart health.

Don’t miss out on the many health benefits turmeric has to offer. Incorporate one of your premium supplements into your daily regimen today.

« Back to Blog