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

20 augustus 2026 bijgewerkt door: 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.

Studie Overzicht

Gedetailleerde beschrijving

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.

Studietype

Ingrijpend

Inschrijving (Werkelijk)

36

Fase

  • Niet toepasbaar

Contacten en locaties

In dit gedeelte vindt u de contactgegevens van degenen die het onderzoek uitvoeren en informatie over waar dit onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd.

Studie Locaties

      • Soria, Spanje, 42004
        • University Campus of Soria

Deelname Criteria

Onderzoekers zoeken naar mensen die aan een bepaalde beschrijving voldoen, de zogenaamde geschiktheidscriteria. Enkele voorbeelden van deze criteria zijn iemands algemene gezondheidstoestand of eerdere behandelingen.

Geschiktheidscriteria

Leeftijden die in aanmerking komen voor studie

  • Volwassen

Accepteert gezonde vrijwilligers

Ja

Beschrijving

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.

Studie plan

Dit gedeelte bevat details van het studieplan, inclusief hoe de studie is opgezet en wat de studie meet.

Hoe is de studie opgezet?

Ontwerpdetails

  • Primair doel: Behandeling
  • Toewijzing: Gerandomiseerd
  • Interventioneel model: Parallelle opdracht
  • Masker: Verdrievoudigen

Wapens en interventies

Deelnemersgroep / Arm
Interventie / Behandeling
Experimenteel: 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.
Andere namen:
  • Curcuma longa
Actieve vergelijker: 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.
Placebo-vergelijker: 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.

Wat meet het onderzoek?

Primaire uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Exercise-induced muscle damage
Tijdsspanne: 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.

Secundaire uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Creatine kinase (CK)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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)
Tijdsspanne: 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
Tijdsspanne: 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.

Medewerkers en onderzoekers

Hier vindt u mensen en organisaties die betrokken zijn bij dit onderzoek.

Studie record data

Deze datums volgen de voortgang van het onderzoeksdossier en de samenvatting van de ingediende resultaten bij ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieverslagen en gerapporteerde resultaten worden beoordeeld door de National Library of Medicine (NLM) om er zeker van te zijn dat ze voldoen aan specifieke kwaliteitscontrolenormen voordat ze op de openbare website worden geplaatst.

Bestudeer belangrijke data

Studie start (Werkelijk)

31 januari 2026

Primaire voltooiing (Werkelijk)

23 mei 2026

Studie voltooiing (Werkelijk)

1 augustus 2026

Studieregistratiedata

Eerst ingediend

20 augustus 2026

Eerst ingediend dat voldeed aan de QC-criteria

20 augustus 2026

Eerst geplaatst (Werkelijk)

25 augustus 2026

Updates van studierecords

Laatste update geplaatst (Werkelijk)

25 augustus 2026

Laatste update ingediend die voldeed aan QC-criteria

20 augustus 2026

Laatst geverifieerd

1 augustus 2026

Meer informatie

Termen gerelateerd aan deze studie

Plan Individuele Deelnemersgegevens (IPD)

Bent u van plan om gegevens van individuele deelnemers (IPD) te delen?

JA

Beschrijving IPD-plan

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.

IPD-tijdsbestek voor delen

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

IPD-toegangscriteria voor delen

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.

IPD delen Ondersteunend informatietype

  • LEERPROTOCOOL

Informatie over medicijnen en apparaten, studiedocumenten

Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd geneesmiddel

Nee

Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd apparaatproduct

Nee

Deze informatie is zonder wijzigingen rechtstreeks van de website clinicaltrials.gov gehaald. Als u verzoeken heeft om uw onderzoeksgegevens te wijzigen, te verwijderen of bij te werken, neem dan contact op met register@clinicaltrials.gov. Zodra er een wijziging wordt doorgevoerd op clinicaltrials.gov, wordt deze ook automatisch bijgewerkt op onze website .

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