None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
As we age, there is an increase in body fat that causes low-grade inflammation. Additionally, a subsequent decrease in muscle mass and strength leads to a functional decline, hindering daily activities over time. This decline in muscle function is called sarcopenia. We can slow down its progression and improve the quality of life with two simple measures – improve our protein intake and engage in strength training. However, strength training causes exercise-induced muscle damage that triggers a release of inflammatory markers and can increase the pre-existing inflammation. Curcumin – the active compound in turmeric – is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. It has the potential to decrease low-grade inflammation and improve exercise-induced muscle damage. On the other hand, whey protein has been shown to increase muscle mass and strength when consumed within 30 min post-workout. Thus, this project aims to combine whey protein isolate and curcumin, an anti-inflammatory agent, to obtain a combined effect that decreases the exercise-induced inflammation post workout and helps in faster recovery. Participants will be recruited through flyers and advertisements and will be divided into three treatment groups - (a) curcumin-fortified whey protein beverage group, (b) whey protein group, or (c) placebo group. Two familiarizations will be conducted to master the movements on the stain gauge and leg-press machine. This will be followed by a four-day main trial at the lab. Participants will provide baseline measures and then engage in 6 sets of 6 repetitions in each set on the leg press machine at their 80% 1-repetition maximum. Participants will consume the assigned beverage immediately after completion of exercise and then provide follow-up measures at 1, 2, 24, 48, and 72 hour post-exercise. The assigned beverage will also be consumed at the 24-hour visit after completing the follow-up measures.
Interventions
The Turmeric Study is a randomised, controlled 4-day intervention trial designed to examine the effect of curcumin-fortified whey protein beverage supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage in healthy older adults aged 65-80 years living in Auckland, New Zealand.
This study will take place at the Sports and Exercise Lab, Massey University, Albany Campus.
Enrolled participants will be assigned to any one of the three beverage groups: (a) curcumin-fortified whey protein beverage group,
The Turmeric Study is a randomised, controlled 4-day intervention trial designed to examine the effect of curcumin-fortified whey protein beverage supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage in healthy older adults aged 65-80 years living in Auckland, New Zealand. This study will take place at the Sports and Exercise Lab, Massey University, Albany Campus. Enrolled participants will be assigned to any one of the three beverage groups: (a) curcumin-fortified whey protein beverage group, (b) whey protein group, or (c) placebo group. At the lab, participants will undergo familiarization with the strain gauge machine and assessment of 1-Repetition Max (1-RM) on the leg-press machine on two occasions. The familiarization sessions will take an hour and will be separated by two days. Two days after the second familiarization visit, they will come to the lab for the main trial spread across a four-day period. On day 1 of the main trial, participants will report their baseline measures for sleep, muscle soreness, how they feel, force measures on the strain gauge, and blood samples for inflammatory markers. This will be followed by the muscle-damaging exercise protocol. The exercise consists of 5 minutes of warming-up on a cycle ergometer, followed by 6 sets of 6 repetitions in each set on leg press machine, and a 5-minute cooling-down period on the cycle ergometer. Two minutes of rest will be given between sets and 5 min between each leg. The workload for each exercise will be 80% of 1-repetition maximum previously assessed at the familiarization visit. The participants will consume the allocated beverage immediately after the completion of the exercise intervention along with a standardized breakfast (2 slices of white toast with peanut butter). They will then remain in the lab for the next 2 hours to provide blood samples, force measures, and rate the feeling scale and scale for muscle soreness. Participants will come to the lab 24 h (day 2), 48 h (day 3), and 72 h (day 4) after the completion of the exercise intervention to provide blood samples and force measures and provide ratings from the sleep questionnaire, feeling scale and muscle soreness. On day 2 of the main trial (first follow-up visit), participant will consume the assigned beverage (second supplement) along with breakfast after completing the reassessment of baseline measures. There will be no supplementation for days 3 and 4 of the main trial. All activities will be conducted under clinical monitoring at the sports lab. Fortified whey protein beverage will contain 15 g of protein and 500 mg of curcumin, whey protein beverage will contain 15 g of protein and yellow food colour, and placebo beverage will contain 15 g of maltodextrin and yellow food colour. All beverages will be isocaloric.
Sponsors
Massey University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
65 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Participants must be proficient in English and must be between the ages of 65-85 years old. They should have not engaged in strength training or consumed protein and curcumin supplements in the last 6 months. They must be able to provide a medical clearance from GP to be eligible to take part in this trial.
Exclusion criteria
Potential healthy participants will be excluded if they are smokers. Further, participants will be excluded if they are on any prescribed medication for diseases related to kidneys, pancreas, liver, etc. and other chronic diseases and if they have had knee/joint injuries in the past 6 months and on the management of osteoarthritis through medication.
Outcome results
None listed