Effects of Ginger on Muscle Soreness and Dysfunction Stemming From Downhill Running

Old Dominion University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Muscle Soreness

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Dietary Supplement: Ginger Root

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03028454

934537-3

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of the study is to determine whether five days of ginger (Zingiber officinale) supplementation is effective at reducing muscle soreness and improving muscle function following downhill running. Long-distance running is often associated with acute muscle pain, swelling, and reduced muscle functioning, and consequently, many runners utilize non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). NSAID use is associated with gastrointestinal side-effects such as stomach discomfort, nausea, dyspepsia, asymptomatic ulcers, and symptomatic ulcers that, although rare, can be fatal. Ginger is a botanical compound that is Generally Recognized as Safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Evidence from osteoarthritis, dysmenorrhea, and resistance-training models indicate that ginger is effective at reducing general pain and muscle soreness. Therefore, this study will supplement 60 runners with roughly 1.5 g/day of ginger root or a placebo for 2 days prior to, the day of, and 2 days after downhill running. Participants will be evaluated for muscle soreness and function before and after the downhill run.

Enrollment: 34 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Be currently running ≥10 miles per week
• Have completed at least one run >40 minutes over the past month

Exclusion criteria

• Have no allergies to ginger
• Willing to avoid pain-relieving medications for the duration of the study
• Have no history of bleeding disorders nor currently taking blood thinners

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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34 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Ginger Root Capsule

Experimental group

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Ginger Root

Placebo Capsule

Placebo Comparator group

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Placebo