Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Nutritional Science
• Pain Management

Background:

• Ginger exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in animal models.
• The impact of ginger on human muscle pain, particularly heat-treated ginger, remains unclear.
• Heat treatment is hypothesized to enhance ginger's pain-relieving (hypoalgesic) effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of 11-day supplementation with raw and heat-treated ginger on muscle pain in humans.
• To compare the efficacy of raw versus heat-treated ginger in alleviating exercise-induced muscle pain.
• To assess ginger's impact on pain intensity, perceived effort, inflammation markers, and muscle function.

Main Methods:

• Two identical double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized experiments were conducted.
• Participants (n=34 in study 1, n=40 in study 2) consumed 2 grams of raw ginger, heat-treated ginger, or placebo daily for 11 days.
• Eccentric exercise was used to induce muscle pain and inflammation, with various measures assessed before and after exercise.

Main Results:

• Both raw and heat-treated ginger significantly reduced muscle pain by 23-25% at 24 hours post-exercise compared to placebo.
• The pain-reducing effects of raw and heat-treated ginger were comparable.
• Minimal effects were observed for other measured variables, such as perceived effort and arm volume.

Conclusions:

• Daily ginger supplementation effectively reduces muscle pain following exercise-induced muscle injury.
• Heat treatment does not appear to enhance the pain-relieving effects of ginger.
• Ginger demonstrates effectiveness as a pain reliever, consistent with its use in conditions like osteoarthritis.