Effect of Curcumin (Turmeric) supplement on Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2max) and Lactate Threshold in human

Many studies have reported on the antitumor, antioxidant, antiarthritic and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin. The present examined effects of curcumin together with exercise to increase VO2max and lactate threshold in human. In a study on animals, 10 -week-old male Wistar rats were divided into non-eTR and eTR groups. We used low (50 mg/kg-BW/day) and high doses (100 mg/kg-BW/day) of curcumin dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). These doses were injected intraperitoneally into all animals for two hours before swimming exercise using Western blot (WB) analysis. In the study on humans, the sample was divided into two groups and the duration who were asked to consume two capsules (@ 550 mg) per day for 6 weeks. Aerobic exercise (jogging) was scheduled 4 times a week during the period, at vigorous intensity (60-90% maximum heart rate). The level of VO2max and lactate threshold was examined pretest and posttest. Results showed that low doses and high doses curcumin treatment significantly increased COX-IV protein expression. Furthermore, 1.1-gram curcumin/day for 6 weeks significantly increased VO2max and lactate threshold on human. The results showed that curcumin treatment can optimise human performance through its ability to increase VO2max and lactate threshold