A study has found that turmeric supplementation has a positive impact on recovery for professional athletes.
The Turmeric Co., founded by former Wales international Thomas ‘Hal’ Robson-Kanu, supported the study in partnership with Rotherham United and Nottingham Trent University.
This pilot study of Rotherham United’s first team players, conducted in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, explored whether a turmeric supplement could enhance recovery in elite male footballers.
It found that supplementation with raw turmeric, in the form of The Turmeric Co.’s Raw Turmeric Original shot, reduces inflammation and soreness post-exercise.
Curcumin, the key active ingredient in turmeric, is a dietary compound with anti-inflammatory properties that has been previously been shown to reduce muscle damage and soreness post-exercise when taken in a bioavailable form.
Twenty-two male elite footballers from EFL Championship side Rotherham United’s first team were randomised to either consume The Turmeric Co.’s Raw Turmeric Original 60ml shot twice per day, or to a control group who did not consume the product.
Subjective leg and whole-body soreness, strength and jump performance, alongside blood-based inflammatory marker c-reactive protein were assessed at baseline, immediately (zero-hours), 40-hours and 64-hours post-match.
The study took place over eight competitive matches.
When comparing athletes consuming turmeric with those that didn’t, the study found that turmeric supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in leg muscle soreness (77%), whole-body muscle soreness (106%) and inflammation blood markers (1082%) 64 hours post-match
Dr. Ian Varley, Associate Professor in Exercise Physiology at the School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University said: “We know that football match-play causes muscle damage and induces fatigue. Therefore, rapid recovery following match-play is important to optimise performance levels and reduce injury risk.
“What these findings demonstrate is that the supplementation of turmeric results in lower C-reaction protein [inflammation marker] as well as significantly decreased subjective soreness [leg and body] in turmeric users three-days following match-play.
Thomas ‘Hal’ Robson-Kanu, Founder and CEO at The Turmeric Co. said: “There’s always an element of risk when conducting a study like this that the results may not demonstrate the results you want to see. However, when you have developed such a strong product over many years, like we have at The Turmeric Co., you have to be confident in your product and the science behind it.
Mr Robson-Kanu continues: “What we are seeing here is exactly what we have set out to do with our products, to provide the ultimate supplement that utilised turmeric, and its many healing properties, to enhance performance and recovery when playing sport or conducting physical exercise."
