Benefits of Turmeric in Sports
Knowing better the food we consume is important to understand what we are putting into our body. In the same recipe, different foods are combined and each one is rich in substances that may or may not help in your training. Even seasonings, often forgotten when it comes to nutrition, have an influence on your body and, consequently, on your performance.
Today we'll talk about turmeric, also known as turmeric. This spice is rich in curcumin and has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and also anticarcinogenic effects, which means an aid in cancer prevention. We spoke with nutritionist Natalia Barros, who is a specialist in women's health and has a master's degree in Science from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), with improvement in human nutrition and metabolism from Stanford University/USA.
1. How turmeric can be beneficial for sports?
Studies have shown that curcumin supplementation, a substance present in turmeric, increases range of motion after three or four days of resistance exercise, suggesting that curcumin supplementation helps muscle recovery and improves cardiac activity, thus increasing the performance in physical activity.
2. Which sports activities can benefit the most from the effects of turmeric on the body?According to the nutritionist, due to the anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin in the body, it is possible to notice that it helps in the recovery of the muscle after physical exercise and in the performance of cardiac activity, allowing an increase in the load used and better physical conditioning. Therefore, both resistance exercises and aerobics will benefit from this supplementation.
3. What doses are indicated and at what frequency?
Currently, there are no conclusive studies for a specific dose, says Natalia. Different evaluations were made just to determine the effects of curcumin supplementation with different doses, which were largely beneficial for the different actions of this substance: antioxidant effect, increased performance in sport and reduced inflammation. Today, studies can only assess that, after a certain amount of supplemented curcumin, it has negative effects, but there is still no limit dose. This is because ingesting a few grams of curcumin implies very low concentrations in the blood.
4. For those who are not yet used to including seasoning in their food routine, which dishes we consume on a daily basis can take turmeric?
The nutritionist recommends the use of turmeric in cooked or roasted vegetables, red meat, chicken, fish, sauces, soups and even rice (in the cooking water). Turmeric has a slightly spicy flavor and accentuates the flavor of these ingredients.
5. Are there any contraindications for turmeric?
For now, there are no studies that prove a contraindication to ingestion of turmeric, according to Natalia Barros. What was evaluated were the amounts administered in different studies, that is, which are the interesting doses for each case and their effects. Thus, it was possible to see that there is a time when the dosage of curcumin administered for a specific purpose becomes harmful to the body, or even has the opposite effect. Therefore, the contraindication is found in supplementation (since larger amounts are administered than in natura food intake): pregnant women, lactating women, people with gastrointestinal problems, serious illnesses or allergy to curcumin.
6. Is there any type or variation of turmeric that is preferable?
Curcumin is extracted from the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa (or turmeric or turmeric), and, in general, it has beneficial effects in different cases, such as improving the performance of physical activity and antioxidant action. What was evidenced by the studies were their amounts, that is, different doses for different cases can be interesting. About the variations of turmeric, there are only evaluations of the contents of curcumin found in the rhizome of different plantations, according to the expert.
