Ingredients for managing muscle damage and pain
While tart cherries, curcumin, MSM and CBD are popular supplements to help consumers minimize muscle soreness, the evidence is limited but growing.
May 8, 2020
Muscle soreness can hamper training and competition. Though the efficacious use of specific supplements can help get athletes back in the game, these products should be developed with caution. Tart cherries, curcumin, omega-3 fatty acids, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), enzymes, amino acids and CBD are popular nutritional approaches for products that help consumers minimize muscle soreness.
How exercise affects muscle
A tough bout of training causes trauma to muscle cells. This triggers an immune system response to repair damage and remove waste products.1 “Tissue injury leads to inflammation (to help aid healing), and this often leads to swelling, stiffness and pain receptors being sensitized—leading to pain,” stated Richard Bloomer, Ph.D., dean of the School of Health Studies and the Center for Wellness and Fitness, University of Memphis. Blood supply increases, which brings immune cells in to clean up damaged muscle tissue, release free radicals (reactive oxygen species [ROS]) and produce proinflammatory cytokines which promote both injury and repair.2,3