Data published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition indicated that 300 mg per day of TurmiPure Gold for five days led to accelerated recovery from delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in young, moderately active men.
In addition, turmeric supplementation was associated with improved muscle function and maintained athletic performance.
“The clinical implications of the improved recovery with [TurmiPure Gold] supplementation found in this study may include an earlier return to training or competition in acute recovery scenarios in recreational athletes,” wrote scientists from Givaudan, University College Cork and Bern University of Applied Sciences.
“For recreational athletes and moderately active individuals, reduced muscle soreness might support motivation and improve discipline.”
Top selling ingredient
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) boasts a long history of safe use as a culinary ingredient, and the botanical and the curcuminoids it contains (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxy curcumin) have been reported to have a range of health benefits for brain, cardiovascular, joint and muscle health.
U.S. sales of supplements with turmeric/curcumin as the main ingredient totaled US$37.1 million in 2024 in the natural expanded channel (the number one selling herbal) plus US$141.8 million in the mainstream/mass channel (number 4 on that list), according to the 2024 Herb Market Report published by the American Botanical Council (HerbalGram 144).
The new study used Givaudan’s proprietary turmeric formulation, TurmiPure Gold, which is described as “a dried colloidal suspension of curcuminoids made of standard turmeric extract, quillaja extract, sunflower oil and acacia gum, containing a minimum of 30% curcuminoids.”
Stephanie Calafat, global product manager, physical health at Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing, welcomed the study’s findings.
“We are thrilled that this recent clinical study demonstrates that TurmiPure Gold supports faster muscle recovery and sustained performance,” she said. “It complements our earlier consumer perception study in active individuals and reinforces our commitment to natural, science-backed solutions that help people stay active and perform.”
Study details
Tbe randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled study recruited 45 healthy adults (35 men and 10 women) between the ages of 25 and 45. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 300 mg per day of TurmiPure Gold or placebo for five days. Muscle damage was induced on the second day of the study with a 30-minutes downhill run. A 14- to 18-day washout period followed this intervention and then the participants crossed over to the other group.
Results showed that turmeric supplementation was associated with improved muscle function 24 hours after the run, compared to placebo. Athletic performance was also maintained the turmeric group but dropped off in the placebo group.
Moreover, an 11% improvement over placebo was recorded for recovery from maximal muscle soreness 72 hours after the run.
Statistical power limited the applicability of the results to only men, according to the the study.
“Supplementation with a highly bioavailable dried colloidal suspension of curcuminoids can accelerate DOMS recovery and could attenuate muscular function loss 24 hours after unaccustomed eccentric exercise in young, moderately active, male adults,” the researchers reported.
“The efficacy in females, other age groups (e.g. seniors), and highly trained athletes striving for optimized long-term training adaption remains to be investigated in separate, adequately powered and correspondingly designed clinical and training studies.”
Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2026, 22(1). doi: 10.1080/15502783.2025.2568048. “A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trial to evaluate the effect of a turmeric formulation on muscle soreness and function recovery in moderately active adults”. Authors: K.A. Schönenberger, et al.
