Effect of Dual Polyphenolic Ingredient on Muscle Injury and Performance: A Prospective, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Interventional Study in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

Background: Eccentric exercise is a regular part of rehabilitation and sports training and to the unaccustomed, can cause muscle damage that presents as delayed soreness, strength and range of motion loss, swelling, and increased passive stiffness. These symptoms reduce exercise ability and might be harmful if exercise is further continued. In this study, we sought to test the efficacy of a proprietary dietary supplement, Gremin®, contains green coffee bean extract and curcumin in alleviating the severity of muscle damage and injury after standardized eccentric exercise. This study was a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, interventional study. Sixteen healthy, moderately active, non-smoking volunteers with no known musculoskeletal pathology were enrolled. Mean differences within and between groups were assessed inferentially at each data collection point using t-tests for all outcome measures. Results: In this controlled study, the intake of Gremin® for 10 days resulted in a significant reduction in standardized measures of pain and tenderness at several post-eccentric exercise points compared to the placebo group. The Gremin® group had significantly reduced levels of plasma indicators of inflammation (C-reactive protein) and muscle damage (creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase), as well as standardized measures of pain and tenderness at several post-eccentric exercise time points, than the placebo group. Conclusions: Gremin® appears to be beneficial in accelerating the healing of acute muscle injury. Further studies with a larger sample size are warranted based on the current results.