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Curcumin Versus Ibuprofen for Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Physically Active Women (CURACTIVE)

20 agosto 2026 aggiornato da: Diego Fernández Lázaro, University of Valladolid

Comparative Efficacy of Oral Curcumin Supplementation Versus Ibuprofen on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage, Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Sports Performance in Physically Active Women: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial

xercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is a common consequence of unaccustomed or high-intensity exercise and is characterized by muscle soreness, impaired physical performance, inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased circulating biomarkers of muscle damage. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, are frequently used to alleviate these symptoms, although their repeated use may be associated with adverse effects. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has emerged as a potential nutritional strategy to support post-exercise recovery.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial aims to compare the effects of oral curcumin supplementation and ibuprofen administration on exercise-induced muscle damage in physically active women. The study evaluates clinical outcomes, physical performance, biomarkers of muscle damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and other health-related biomarkers to determine whether curcumin may represent a safe and effective nutritional alternative for promoting recovery after eccentric exercise.

Panoramica dello studio

Stato

Completato

Condizioni

Intervento / Trattamento

Descrizione dettagliata

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) following eccentric exercise is characterized by structural disruption of skeletal muscle fibers accompanied by transient inflammation, oxidative stress, delayed-onset muscle soreness, and impaired physical performance. Although these responses are considered part of the normal adaptive process, excessive muscle damage may delay recovery and impair subsequent training or competition.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used by athletes to reduce post-exercise pain and inflammation. However, repeated NSAID use has been associated with gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiovascular adverse effects, highlighting the need for safe nutritional alternatives capable of supporting recovery without interfering with physiological adaptation.

Curcumin, the principal bioactive polyphenol derived from Curcuma longa, exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties through modulation of multiple molecular pathways involved in redox homeostasis and inflammatory signaling. Experimental and clinical studies suggest that curcumin may attenuate exercise-induced muscle damage by reducing oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and muscle soreness, although evidence remains inconsistent and direct comparisons with NSAIDs are scarce.

The objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is to compare the efficacy of oral curcumin supplementation with ibuprofen and placebo in physically active women following eccentric exercise. The study evaluates clinical recovery, physical performance, biomarkers of muscle damage, inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, and additional health-related biomarkers in order to characterize the physiological effects of curcumin supplementation and determine its potential role as a nutritional strategy for exercise recovery.

Tipo di studio

Interventistico

Iscrizione (Effettivo)

36

Fase

  • Non applicabile

Contatti e Sedi

Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.

Luoghi di studio

      • Soria, Spagna, 42004
        • University Campus of Soria

Criteri di partecipazione

I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.

Criteri di ammissibilità

Età idonea allo studio

  • Adulto

Accetta volontari sani

Sì

Descrizione

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy physically active women. Age within the predefined study range. Regular participation in physical activity for at least 6 months before enrollment.

Ability to perform the eccentric exercise protocol. Written informed consent provided before participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

Current musculoskeletal injury or pain affecting exercise performance. History of cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, renal, hepatic, or inflammatory disease.

Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Current use of anti-inflammatory drugs, antioxidant supplements, or other nutritional supplements that could interfere with study outcomes.

Known allergy or intolerance to curcumin, turmeric, ibuprofen, or study ingredients.

Smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. Participation in another clinical trial during the study period. Any condition considered by the investigators to compromise participant safety or protocol compliance.

Piano di studio

Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.

Come è strutturato lo studio?

Dettagli di progettazione

  • Scopo principale: Trattamento
  • Assegnazione: Randomizzato
  • Modello interventistico: Assegnazione parallela
  • Mascheramento: Triplicare

Armi e interventi

Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm
Intervento / Trattamento
Sperimentale: Curcumin
Participants received oral curcumin supplementation according to the study protocol before and following the eccentric exercise protocol. Clinical recovery, physical performance, muscle damage, inflammatory, oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, and other health-related biomarkers were evaluated during the recovery period.
Participants received oral curcumin supplementation according to the study protocol before and after the eccentric exercise protocol. Curcumin was administered at the predefined dose and duration specified in the protocol. The intervention aimed to evaluate its effects on exercise-induced muscle damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, physical performance, and recovery in physically active women.
Altri nomi:
  • Curcuma lunga
Comparatore attivo: Ibuprofen
articipants received oral ibuprofen according to the study protocol before and following the eccentric exercise protocol. Clinical recovery, physical performance, muscle damage, inflammatory, oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, and other health-related biomarkers were evaluated during the recovery period.
Participants received oral ibuprofen according to the study protocol before and after the eccentric exercise protocol. Ibuprofen was administered at the predefined dose and duration specified in the protocol and served as the active comparator for evaluating recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage.
Comparatore placebo: Placebo
Participants received placebo capsules identical in appearance to the active interventions according to the study protocol before and following the eccentric exercise protocol. Clinical recovery, physical performance, muscle damage, inflammatory, oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, and other health-related biomarkers were evaluated during the recovery period.
Participants received placebo capsules identical in appearance, packaging, and administration schedule to the active interventions. The placebo contained inert ingredients and was administered according to the study protocol before and after the eccentric exercise protocol.

Cosa sta misurando lo studio?

Misure di risultato primarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Exercise-induced muscle damage
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 72-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Exercise-induced muscle damage assessed using clinical outcomes and biochemical biomarkers following eccentric exercise to compare the effects of oral curcumin supplementation, ibuprofen, and placebo in physically active women.
Baseline and during the 72-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.

Misure di risultato secondarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Creatine kinase (CK)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in serum creatine kinase concentration as a biomarker of exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage following eccentric exercise.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in serum lactate dehydrogenase concentration as an indicator of muscle membrane disruption and tissue damage.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in serum aspartate aminotransferase concentration as an indirect biomarker of exercise-induced muscle tissue damage.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in serum alanine aminotransferase concentration following eccentric exercise.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in serum alkaline phosphatase concentration following eccentric exercise.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in circulating interleukin-6 concentration as a biomarker of the inflammatory response to exercise-induced muscle damage.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
C-reactive protein (CRP)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in serum C-reactive protein concentration as a marker of systemic inflammation following eccentric exercise.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Malondialdehyde (MDA)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in plasma malondialdehyde concentration as a biomarker of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in superoxide dismutase activity as an indicator of endogenous antioxidant defense.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Catalase (CAT)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in catalase activity as a marker of antioxidant defense following eccentric exercise.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in perceived muscle soreness assessed using a validated visual analogue scale following eccentric exercise.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Countermovement jump (CMJ)
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in countermovement jump performance as a measure of lower-limb neuromuscular function and exercise recovery.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Thigh circumference
Lasso di tempo: Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.
Changes in thigh circumference as an indirect indicator of exercise-induced muscle swelling.
Baseline and during the 48-hour recovery period following eccentric exercise.

Collaboratori e investigatori

Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.

Sponsor

Studiare le date dei record

Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.

Studia le date principali

Inizio studio (Effettivo)

31 gennaio 2026

Completamento primario (Effettivo)

23 maggio 2026

Completamento dello studio (Effettivo)

1 agosto 2026

Date di iscrizione allo studio

Primo inviato

20 agosto 2026

Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità

20 agosto 2026

Primo Inserito (Effettivo)

25 agosto 2026

Aggiornamenti dei record di studio

Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)

25 agosto 2026

Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC

20 agosto 2026

Ultimo verificato

1 agosto 2026

Maggiori informazioni

Termini relativi a questo studio

Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio

  • DFL-CURC-2025-01

Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)

Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?

SÌ

Descrizione del piano IPD

ndividual participant data that underlie the results reported in publications arising from this study (after de-identification) will be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding investigator. Data will be shared with researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal and whose proposed use of the data has been approved by the study investigators and complies with applicable ethical and institutional regulations.

Periodo di condivisione IPD

Beginning 6 months after publication and ending 5 years after publication.

Criteri di accesso alla condivisione IPD

Data will be available upon reasonable request to qualified researchers for scientifically sound research purposes following approval by the study investigators and execution of a data sharing agreement, when required.

Tipo di informazioni di supporto alla condivisione IPD

  • STUDIO_PROTOCOLLO

Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio

Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .