“This is the first study to examine the effects of a novel phytochemical blend, at a relatively low dose, on markers of EIMD [exercise-induced muscle damage], and suggests that the supplement holds promise as a recovery strategy to attenuate muscle soreness and perceived exhaustion after exercise,” researchers wrote in the journal Nutrients.
Funded by supplement supplier VDF FutureCeuticals Inc., USA, the study assessed the efficacy of a supplement containing calcium fructoborate with standardized extracts of turmeric and pomegranate.
The researchers from Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham, in the UK, said the mechanisms by which this “unique blend of ingredients” may have affected recovery and enhanced perceived sleep quality warrant further investigation.
Mitigating muscle soreness
Muscle soreness after exercise is thought to result from oxidative stress and inflammation. After strenuous exercise, neuromuscular performance can decrease, limiting range of movement and impacting sleep quality. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytochemicals such as polyphenols may help mitigate muscle soreness by disrupting inflammatory pathways, reducing oxidative stress, and upregulating redox enzymes.
Research suggests that calcium fructoborate, one of the active ingredients in the supplement used in the study, may have pain-relieving effects, which the researchers hypothesized could be especially beneficial when combined with botanical extracts containing phytochemicals.
The supplement also contained turmeric, which has been reported to improve muscle function and reduce soreness post-exercise, and pomegranate, which may support physical performance.
Study details
Twenty-four recreationally active, healthy participants were randomly assigned 300 mg of a phytochemical blend from VDF FutureCeuticals containing 108 mg of calcium fructoborate, 96 mg of turmeric standardised to ≥95% curcuminoids and 96 mg of pomegranate extract standardised to ≥40% punicalagins, or a placebo for nine days.
On day seven, they performed 150 drop jumps to induce muscle damage. The researchers assessed markers of neuromuscular function, muscle soreness/pain, perceived exhaustion, and sleep quality, pre-exercise and 24, 48, and 72 h post-exercise. They also measured systemic markers of inflammation, muscle damage, and oxidative stress on these days and at 2.5 h post-exercise.
The results showed an interaction effect for pressure pain threshold in the quad muscles (vastus lateralis) of 21% higher in the supplement group at 72 hours post-exercise. Pressure pain threshold is the minimal pressure required to elicit pain and is typically measured with handheld pressure algometers.
The supplement group also reported greater perceived sleep quality (PSQ), greater feeling of recovery, and less mental fatigue after the exercise.
“While the causal direction of this relationship remains debated, it is plausible that in our study the greater PSQ after the intervention was, at least in part, due to participants feeling less muscle soreness,” the researchers wrote. “The reduced muscle soreness could also partly explain why the participants reported feeling more recovered and less mentally drained (subjectively) after the exercise with the intervention.”
The researchers found “no statistically significant between-condition differences” for markers of neuromuscular function, inflammation, oxidative stress, or muscle damage.
They acknowledged the study limitations, including not measuring plasma phytochemical concentrations or conducting muscle biops. They suggested that future research using non-invasive MRI to assess muscle damage could be beneficial.
Source: Nutrients 2026, 18(8), 1199, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18081199, “The Effects of a Phytochemical Supplement Blend on Markers of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Randomised Controlled Trial.” Authors: J. Thorley et al.
