More people in Europe are paying attention to this side of exercise. Recovery has become a bigger part of how people think about sports nutrition, and brands are looking for ingredients that can support it, with proper research behind them.
Why curcumin, and why CurcuVail
Curcumin, the main active compound in turmeric, has been researched for many years for its role in how the body responds to physical stress. The difficulty is that curcumin does not dissolve well in water, so the body absorbs very little of it.
We developed CurcuVail to deal with this. It uses a proprietary technology that makes curcumin more bioavailable. It also mixes well into water, so it works in drinks, shakes and powders as well as capsules.
About the new study
Our latest study looked at CurcuVail and muscle recovery after intense exercise. It was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy, active adults. The supplementation period was short, just one week, with a lower dose. That is useful to know if you are working on a recovery drink, a post-workout powder or a gummy.
The participants were put through an exercise session designed to make their muscles sore on purpose, the kind of workout that leaves you feeling it for days. The researchers then followed their recovery closely.
They checked how sore the participants felt, how tender their muscles were when pressed, how far they could bend their knees and how much weight they could manage on a leg press.
They also took blood samples to track three markers that rise when muscles are under strain. Creatine kinase is widely used as a sign of exercise-induced muscle stress. Interleukin-6 is a messenger the body releases after tough workouts. Lactate dehydrogenase is released when muscle cells are stressed.
Together, these give a picture of recovery from two sides: how people feel, and what is happening inside the body.
Get the results first
If you are developing a sports nutrition or recovery product for the European market, contact us at info@phytoextractskp.com or visit www.phytoextractskp.com. We will send you the full study as soon as it is ready, and we are happy to provide samples and help with your formulation.
