Spirulina Supplementation In Recovery From Damaging Exercise (SPIRAL)

Exercise can cause muscle damage, leading to a loss in muscle function, increased muscle soreness and inflammation. Evidence supports the use of nutritional strategies to help recovery. Spirulina is a type of algae. It is eaten as a food supplement as it is full of micronutrients, some which provide anti-inflammatory benefits. This work will assess the impact of taking spirulina supplements on recovery from hard exercise. Investigators will measure changes in muscle function, soreness and markers of inflammation.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Damage Muscle
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Spirulina supplement; Procedure: Eccentric exercise; Dietary supplement: Placebo supplement

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Benjamin Wall, Prof; Phone Number: +441392724774; Email: b.t.wall@exeter.ac.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Exeter, United Kingdom
    • Recruiting
    • University of Exeter
    • Contact: Ellen Williamson; Phone Number: 07791054736; Email: ew655@exeter.ac.uk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Are available and willing to attend St Luke's Campus, Exeter
• Age 18 - 40
• BMI 18.5 - 30 kg/m2
• The participant exercises / plays sport for > 2 h/week, but doesn't do structured resistance strength training
• Self-reported as healthy (absence of injury or disease)
• Have no known food allergy to algae
• Are not taking any over the counter or prescribed medication that might interfere with study, e.g. anti-inflammatory medication
• Non-smoker

Exclusion Criteria:

• Are unable to attend St Luke's Campus, Exeter
• Are out-with age range 18 - 40
• BMI below 18.5 or above 30 kg/m2
• The participant does not exercise
• The participant does regular structured resistance strength training
• Known injury or disease that might influence study outcomes
• Have a known food allergy to algae
• Are taking over the counter or prescribed medication that might interfere with study, e.g. anti-inflammatory medication
• Smoker

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Spirulina supplement; 3g of spirulina supplement three times daily for 5 days.	Dietary supplement: Spirulina supplement; Participants consume a 3g spirulina supplement 3 times daily for 5 consecutive days.; Procedure: Eccentric exercise; On the morning of Day 3 (where Day 1 is when participants start taking supplements), participants perform a single bout of eccentric exercise. The exercise protocol is performed on a single leg and involves 300 (10 sets of 30 repetitions separated by 120 seconds) voluntary maximal, isokinetic, eccentric contractions of the knee extensor. Exercise is performed using a Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY, USA), and contractions are performed at 60◦/s over an 80◦ range of motion.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo supplement; macronutrient matched placebo supplement three times daily for 5 days.	Procedure: Eccentric exercise; On the morning of Day 3 (where Day 1 is when participants start taking supplements), participants perform a single bout of eccentric exercise. The exercise protocol is performed on a single leg and involves 300 (10 sets of 30 repetitions separated by 120 seconds) voluntary maximal, isokinetic, eccentric contractions of the knee extensor. Exercise is performed using a Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY, USA), and contractions are performed at 60◦/s over an 80◦ range of motion.; Dietary supplement: Placebo supplement; Participants consume a macronutrient matched placebo supplement 3 times daily for 5 consecutive days.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measure changes in the concentration of blood plasma inflammatory markers via immunoassay.	Blood plasma inflammatory markers will be measured before (baseline) and after eccentric exercise (at 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h post eccentric exercise) in both the spirulina and placebo group. Inflammatory markers that will be assessed include: interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL) -1β, -4, -6, -10, tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) via immunoassay (pg/mL).	Measurements take place across a 6 day experimental period.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measure changes in perceived lower body muscle soreness via visual analogue scale questionnaire.	Perceived lower body muscle soreness will be measured before (baseline) and after eccentric exercise (at 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h post eccentric exercise) in both the spirulina and placebo group to report recovery of muscle. Participants will stand from a seated position and rate the corresponding sensation of lower body muscle soreness on a 100-mm visual analogue scale anchored by 'no pain' at 0 mm and 'worst possible pain' at 100 mm.	Measurements take place across a 6 day experimental period.
Measure changes in muscle function of the quadriceps using knee extensor peak isometric torque on a Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer.	Knee extensor peak isometric torque (three maximal isometric contractions at 75◦ of knee flexion) will be measured before (baseline) and after eccentric exercise (at 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h post eccentric exercise) in both the spirulina and placebo group to report recovery of peak isometric torque (N). Testing will be performed on a Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY, US).	Measurements take place across a 6 day experimental period.
Measure changes in muscle function of the quadriceps using knee extensor total isokinetic work on a Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer.	Knee extensor total isokinetic work (area under the torque-time curve after 30 maximal, concentric, isokinetic knee extensor contractions performed at 75◦/s through an 80◦ range of motion) will be measured before (baseline) and after eccentric exercise (at 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h post eccentric exercise) in both the spirulina and placebo group to report recovery of total isokinetic work (N.s). Testing will be performed on a Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY, US).	Measurements take place across a 6 day experimental period.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Exeter

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 4, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 22, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 29, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): April 30, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 14, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 13, 2024
• Last Verified: June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise recovery; spirulina
• Other Study ID Numbers: 4530276

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No