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12.03.2019


More muscles in old age thanks to curcumin supplementation

More muscles in old age thanks to curcumin supplementation
As you get older, your body loses more and more muscle mass. Initially the decay of your muscles is so slow that you hardly notice it, but every year the decay process runs a little faster than the year before. Supplementation with curcumin, the most important bioactive substance in turmeric, can block this unholy process. This is evident from an animal study that will shortly appear in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Study
American sports scientists, who are affiliated with Syracuse University, experimented with elderly rats. Rats in old age, like people, break down muscle tissue. The researchers divided their rats into 3 groups.

During 4 months, the researchers gave a control group of standard feed without bioactive substances. The animals were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. [CON]

The rats in the experimental group received feed to which the researchers had added curcumin. If the rats had been humans, they would have received 150 milligrams of curcumin daily. [CUR]

Curcumin has a bitter taste. Therefore, the rats in the experimental group ate less food than the rats in the control group. That is why the researchers gave rats in a third group as much feed as the animals in the curcumin group had eaten - but without curcumin. [PAIR]

Results
After 4 months of supplementation, the rats in the curcumin group had 13 and 40 percent more muscle mass than the animals in the CON and PAIR groups respectively.


More muscles in old age thanks to curcumin supplementation



Below you see how curcumin may muscle mass against aging-related decay. In the muscles of the rats in the curcumin group, the Nrf-2 gene was more active. NRF-2 switches on a wide range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules.


More muscles in old age thanks to curcumin supplementation



Because of inflammation and oxidants, aging muscle cells easily break down muscle proteins. In the muscle tissue of the rats given curcumin, the researchers found less of those damaged proteins.


More muscles in old age thanks to curcumin supplementation



Conclusion
"The goal of this study was to reveal the impact of prolonged exposure to dietary curcumin on skeletal muscle", the researchers summarize. "These findings help build the foundation of the efficacy of long-term curcumin supplementation for the treatment of sarcopenia."

"The ability of curcumin feeding to result in greater mass and function during a food-restricted state shows its potential relevance to particular conditions, such as those leading to cachexia."

"Future work should expand upon the findings and continue to determine the efficacy of curviline on muscle mass and function by employing different populations and modes of administration."

Source:
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20, 1178.

More:
Curcumin enhances the positive effect of running on muscle cells 09.01.2018
Hefty dose of curcumin boosts effect of training on muscles 14.01.2016
Curcumin supplementation: more glycogen, less lactic acid, more stamina, more strength 14.05.2015

Archives:
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