Turmeric & Athletics

You spiced up your workout by adding a new exercise, so how about spicing up your meals with a synergistic spice? Two separate systematic reviews (Gomes Suhett et al., 2020 & Fernandez-Lazaro et al., 2020) (including a handful of overlapping studies) surmised curcumin supplementation to be effective at reducing pain, muscle damage, inflammation & oxidative stress. Supplementation also improved muscle performance, recovery, & other physiological and psychological responses, all of which are presumed beneficial for the athlete. Curcumin is the primary phenolic compound from turmeric. Turmeric is widely used in Asian countries both for its taste and medicinal properties. Neither review reported any negative side effects from the supplementation. Dosages from adding turmeric to your plate may not be as concentrated as from a pill (assuming an extract of >95% curcumin), yet likely possess at least some of the benefits without the risk of overdose. Might just be time spice things up a bit! *A contraindication would be anyone taking anticoagulant medication.