title: The effect of turmeric (Curcumin) supplementation on cytokine and inflammatory marker responses following 2 hours of endurance cycling.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endurance exercise induces IL-6 production from myocytes that is thought to impair intracellular defence mechanisms. Curcumin inhibits NF-κB and activator protein 1, responsible for cytokine transcription, in cell lines. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of curcumin supplementation on the cytokine and stress responses following 2 h of cycling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven male recreational athletes (35.5 ± 5.7 years; Wmax 275 ± 6 W; 87.2 ± 10.3 kg) consuming a low carbohydrate diet of 2.3 ± 0.2 g/kg/day underwent three double blind trials with curcumin supplementation, placebo supplementation, and no supplementation (control) to observe the response of serum interleukins (IL-6, IL1-RA, IL-10), cortisol, c-reactive protein (CRP), and subjective assessment of training stress. Exercise was set at 95% lactate threshold (54 ± 7% Wmax) to ensure that all athletes completed the trial protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The trial protocol elicted a rise in IL-6 and IL1-RA, but not IL-10. The supplementation regimen failed to produce statistically significant results when compared to placebo and control. IL-6 serum concentrations one hour following exercise were (Median (IQR): 2.0 (1.8-3.6) Curcumin; 4.8 (2.1-7.3) Placebo; 3.5 (1.9-7.7) Control). Differences between supplementation and placebo failed to reach statistical significance (p = 0.18) with the median test. Repeated measures ANOVA time-trial interaction was at p = 0.06 between curcumin supplementation and placebo. A positive correlation (p = 0.02) between absolute exercise intensity and 1 h post-exercise for IL-6 concentration was observed. Participants reported "better than usual" scores in the subjective assessment of psychological stress when supplementing with curcumin, indicating that they felt less stressed during training days (p = 0.04) compared to placebo even though there was no difference in RPE during any of the training days or trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The limitations of the current regimen and trial involved a number of factors including sample size, mode of exercise, intensity of exercise, and dose of curcumin. Nevertheless these results provide insight for future studies with larger samples, and multiple curcumin dosages to investigate if different curcumin regimens can lead to statistically different interleukin levels when compared to a control and placebo.
authors: Sport Nutrition graduate from the University of Stirling, 74, San Anton Court, Pope John XXIII street, Birkirkara, BKR1033 Malta.
authors: Joseph N
authors: JN
authors: Sciberras
authors: Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, School of Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.
authors: Stuart Dr
authors: SD
authors: Galloway
authors: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Fenech
authors: Department of Pathology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors: Godfrey
authors: G
authors: Grech
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors: Claude
authors: C
authors: Farrugia
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Duca
authors: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors: Janet
authors: J
authors: Mifsud
keywords: Immunity; Interleukins; Natural polyphenols
references: J Nat Prod. 2011 Apr 25;74(4):664-9
references: 21413691
references: Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013 Nov 22;441(3):573-8
references: 24184481
references: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001 Mar;84(3):244-5
references: 11320643
references: Altern Med Rev. 2010 Dec;15(4):337-44
references: 21194249
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 1997 May;82(5):1662-7
references: 9134917
references: J Physiol. 2004 Jul 15;558(Pt 2):633-45
references: 15169848
references: Int J Sports Med. 2014 Jun;35(6):469-75
references: 24165958
references: Int J Sports Med. 1991 Jun;12 Suppl 1:S9-15
references: 1910016
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 1998 Jun;84(6):1917-25
references: 9609785
references: Biochem Pharmacol. 2006 Nov 30;72(11):1493-505
references: 16723122
references: Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Jan;30(1):74-8
references: 17202663
references: Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001 Dec;11(4):503-12
references: 11915784
references: Biochem Pharmacol. 2008 Dec 1;76(11):1590-611
references: 18775680
references: Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2001 Apr;280(4):C769-74
references: 11245592
references: Int J Sport Nutr. 1998 Mar;8(1):49-59
references: 9534081
references: Blood. 2003 Feb 1;101(3):1053-62
references: 12393461
references: Sports Med. 2003;33(5):347-64
references: 12696983
references: J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014 Jun 18;11:31
references: 24982601
references: Nutr Rev. 2008 Jun;66(6):310-20
references: 18522619
references: Ann Intern Med. 1998 Jan 15;128(2):127-37
references: 9441573
references: Exerc Immunol Rev. 2006;12:6-33
references: 17201070
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 2005 Feb;98(2):565-71
references: 15322070
references: J Clin Invest. 2001 Jan;107(1):7-11
references: 11134171
references: Nutr Res. 2012 Oct;32(10):795-9
references: 23146777
references: Exerc Immunol Rev. 2011;17:64-103
references: 21446353
references: J Physiol. 2014 Jun 15;592(12):2637-52
references: 24710058
references: Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Aug;285(2):E433-7
references: 12857678
references: J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Jan 24;55(2):538-44
references: 17227090
references: J Physiol. 1998 May 1;508 ( Pt 3):949-53
references: 9518745
references: Int Immunopharmacol. 2013 Dec;17(4):1101-7
references: 24157330
references: Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2009 Jan;41(1):40-59
references: 18662800
references: J Immunol. 1999 Sep 15;163(6):3474-83
references: 10477620
references: J Physiol. 2001 Jun 1;533(Pt 2):585-91
references: 11389214
references: Sports Med. 2011 Dec 1;41(12):1043-69
references: 22060178
references: J Physiol. 2000 Nov 15;529 Pt 1:237-42
references: 11080265
references: Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Jun;292(6):R2168-73
references: 17332159