Effects of curcumin supplementation on sport and physical exercise: a systematic review

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#curcumin #dietary-supplements #exercise #humans #sports

Effects of curcumin supplementation on sport and physical exercise: a systematic review

Suhett et al., 2021 | Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr | Systematic Review

Citation

Suhett Lara Gomes, de Miranda Monteiro Santos Rodrigo, ... Lucia Ceres Mattos Della. Effects of curcumin supplementation on sport and physical exercise: a systematic review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2021;61(6):946-958. doi:10.1080/10408398.2020.1749025

Abstract

Curcumin is the main phenolic compound in turmeric. It has been investigated recently due to its numerous medicinal properties and health benefits. However, few studies assessed the effects of curcumin supplementation on physical activity practice. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to assess the available evidences with human beings about the potential effects of curcumin supplementation on sport and physical exercise. This systematic review was conducted within the period from January to February, 2019, following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) guidelines. The LILACS, Medline, SciELO and PubMed databases were used for the search, with no publication date limit. The following terms, with the respective Boolean operators, were searched: "curcumin" AND sports; "curcumin" AND exercise; curcumin AND "aerobic exercise"; "curcumin" AND "resistance exercise"; "curcumin" AND "endurance exercise"; "curcumin" AND "strength exercise". Eleven papers were selected for this review. Most of the studies displayed positive effects of the curcumin supplementation for athletes and physical exercise practitioners, and no side effects were reported. Participants supplemented with curcumin displayed reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, decreased pain and muscle damage, superior recovery and muscle performance, better psychological and physiological responses (thermal and cardiovascular) during training and improved gastrointestinal function. Curcumin supplementation appears to be safe and beneficial for sport and physical exercise in human beings. PROSPERO (CRD42019126763).

Key Findings

PROSPERO (CRD42019126763).

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition stress

MeSH Terms

  • Curcumin
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Exercise
  • Humans
  • Sports

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: curcumin

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09