Inflammation is the body’s natural healing mechanism but chronic inflammation can lead to weakness, injury and long term tissue damage. Regular runners are particularly vulnerable to chronic inflammation due to the high impact nature of the sport and the lack of time their body has to recover.
What is exercise induced inflammation?
A tough workout causes micro-tears in your muscles and the body will respond by launching an inflammatory response to heal the “damage”. This acute inflammation is part of the natural process of muscle strengthening (and contributes to giving you those sore legs after a hard run). Acute inflammation is normally accompanied by redness, warmth, swelling and pain around the affected area and is usually resolved within days.
The problems start when the body doesn’t get the chance to complete the healing process. Inadequate rest days or excessive exercise can cause acute inflammation to stay “switched on” and turn chronic. Chronic inflammation, if left unchecked, will have a negative effect on your body and can start damaging healthy cells, tissues and organs. Long term chronic inflammation has been linked to the development of many diseases from rheumatoid arthritis to cardiovascular diseases.
Common symptoms of chronic inflammation include:
- Body pain
- Fatigue and insomnia
- Depression, anxiety and mood disorders
- Stomach issues such as constipation, diarrhea or acid reflux
- Weight gain or loss
- Frequent infections
How to fight chronic inflammation
The go-to weapons against inflammation for many are over-the-counter NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). These medications such as Ibuprofen or Aspirin can be found in most medicine cabinets in the forms of gels or pills and are often used to relieve symptoms from headaches to sprains. However, NSAIDs do have potential side-effects such as indigestion and stomach ulcers (which may cause internal bleeding) and if taken before exercise, studies have shown them to actually have a negative effect on the healing of muscles, tissues, ligaments and bones.
While NSAIDs might be an option for acute pain, there is an alternative anti-inflammatory treatment in the form of curcumin.
Curcumin - The natural anti-inflammatory
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric and has been proven to be a powerful anti-inflammatory as well as a strong antioxidant. Multiple studies have shown it to be a viable replacement to NSAIDs as a treatment for post-workout inflammation and joint pain.
A 2014 trial compared turmeric to Ibuprofen in 367 patients with knee osteoarthritis. The study found that curcumin was just as effective as Ibuprofen on the treatment of inflammation and pain. But most importantly the turmeric group showed lower adverse effects on gastrointestinal health than the Ibuprofen group.
The downside of curcumin is that it can be poorly absorbed. However, by taking it with Piperine, the active ingredient in black pepper, its bioavailability is enhanced by up to 2000%. This is why we have added BioPerine®, a patented form of Piperine, to RunStrong. As with many other supplements, it can take up to 4-8 weeks for the level of curcumin to build up in your system before you begin seeing beneficial effects.
RunStrong uses Curcumin C3 Complex® which contains three different curcuminoids; curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Studies of turmeric derivatives have noted that including these extra two compounds is more efficient in protecting from oxidative stress than curcumin alone.
So by adding RunStrong with its proven, patented ingredients, into your daily routine, you will help your body fight exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness. Supporting your body’s healthy recovery will enable you to skip fewer workouts due to injuries or prolonged recovery time, allowing you to maximise your progress.
References:
Pahwa R, Goyal A, Bansal P, et al. Chronic Inflammation. [Updated 2020 Nov 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/
Warden S. J. (2009). Prophylactic misuse and recommended use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by athletes. British journal of sports medicine, 43(8), 548–549. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2008.056697
Hewlings, S. J., & Kalman, D. S. (2017). Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 6(10), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods6100092
Chandran, B., & Goel, A. (2012). A randomized, pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of curcumin in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 26(11), 1719–1725. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.4639
Kuptniratsaikul, V., Dajpratham, P., Taechaarpornkul, W., Buntragulpoontawee, M., Lukkanapichonchut, P., Chootip, C., Saengsuwan, J., Tantayakom, K., & Laongpech, S. (2014). Efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter study. Clinical interventions in aging, 9, 451–458. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S58535
Shep, D., Khanwelkar, C., Gade, P. et al. Safety and efficacy of curcumin versus diclofenac in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized open-label parallel-arm study. Trials 20, 214 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3327-2
Shoba, G., Joy, D., Joseph, T., Majeed, M., Rajendran, R., & Srinivas, P. S. (1998). Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta medica, 64(4), 353–356. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-957450