Turmeric for Bodybuilding: 5 Benefits You Need to Know About

If you haven’t heard the news yet, something is spicing up the health and fitness world… it’s called turmeric.

A spice commonly used in Asian and Indian cuisine, turmeric is one of the most versatile wellness hacks for anyone looking to support their overall health.

It’s an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and contains dozens of powerful compounds and nutrients that support everything from blood sugar regulation to muscle growth.

You can throw it in a smoothie, add it to energy balls, or bake it into bread. There’s no shortage of ways to use this “gold” and reap all the benefits.

For the average wellness joe looking for a health boost, turmeric is an excellent option. But could it be the new superstar for bodybuilders looking for a competitive edge?

In this article, we’re looking at some of the research on turmeric and exercise and giving you the science behind why this golden spice has become a staple for gym junkies.

Key Takeaways

• Turmeric is a plant from the ginger family, native to Southeast Asia.
• Although widely used in cooking, turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
• Turmeric contains several compounds, with curcumin being the most notable.
• Curcumin is the primary active ingredient responsible for most of turmeric’s health benefits.
• Turmeric offers several specific benefits for bodybuilders:
• Helps Reduce Inflammation: Curcumin helps reduce exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness, potentially accelerating recovery.
• Helps Protects Joints: Turmeric supports joint health by mitigating inflammation and improving symptoms of arthritis.
• May Acelerate Recovery: Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects may reduce muscle soreness and damage, aiding in faster recovery.
• May Reduce Fatigue: Curcumin may improve endurance and reduce markers of fatigue, enhancing overall performance.
• The curcumin content in turmeric isn’t very high, and the bioavailability is pretty low.
• Dosage Recommendations: The recommended dosage for anti-inflammatory effects is 0–3 mg/kg body weight, with a general safe range under 600 mg per day. For enhanced bioavailability, the best turmeric supplement is Performance Lab® Flex, which includes highly bioavailable curcumin extract, which is 47x more absorbable than other forms.

What Is Turmeric?

With its eye-catching golden yellow color, it’s hard to miss this spice.

It’s derived from the turmeric root and is part of the ginger family. But unlike ginger, turmeric offers a spicy, earthy, rich flavor with a brighter flesh, lending itself perfectly to Asian and Indian cuisine.

Turmeric comes from the Curcuma longa plant. A rhizomatous perennial⁽¹⁾. The rhizome, or tuberous portion of the plant, is dried and ground to create turmeric powder.

On its own, turmeric offers an earthy, bitter, and pungent taste with subtly sweet notes. While most people aren’t keen on consuming it straight, it blends wonderfully with many sweet and savory dishes.

So, what makes turmeric so special?

In Eastern medicine, turmeric has been used for centuries to treat various ailments ranging from liver diseases and rheumatism to diabetic wounds and sinusitis ⁽¹⁾.

Related Post: How to Take Turmeric: 5 Best Ways

Health Benefits Of Turmeric

Turmeric is one of the biggest health hacks you can be in on. The list of associated benefits goes on and on, here’s a few. Turmeric may:

• Act anti-inflammatory
• Support blood sugar regulation
• Reduce joint pain
• Support cognitive health
• Support healthy heart
• Reduce symptoms of arthritis
• Help delay aging
• Reduce the risk of age-related diseases

Of all the benefits, its anti-inflammatory properties are perhaps the most valuable.

Studies show it may be beneficial as a complementary approach to support management of inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, and hyperlipidemia, among others.

If you've looked into turmeric supplements, you're probably familiar with curcumin.

Curcumin is the primary active ingredient responsible for most of turmeric’s health benefits.⁽²⁾

Turmeric is a plant from the ginger family and curcumin is the main active compound found within turmeric.

Curcuminoids are phenolic compounds with powerful medicinal properties. Curcumin has been extensively studied for its potential to reduce inflammation, act as an antioxidant, improve brain function, and lower the risk of certain diseases.

However… there’s a catch.

The curcumin content in turmeric isn’t very high—only about 3% by weight. In addition to that, curcumin’s bioavailability, or its absorption by the body, is relatively low.

In order to reap the benefits of this plant, you must enhance its bioavailability. To do that, curcumin is often taken with black pepper, which contains piperine - a bioenhancer.

When paired with piperine, curcumin’s bioavailability can be increased by up to 2000% ⁽³⁾

Along with the wider reaching benefits mentioned above, as a fitness supplement, turmeric shines in a few places—let’s check them out.

The Top 5 Benefits Of Turmeric For Bodybuilding

For bodybuilders turmeric offers specific benefits due to its ability to support against exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness, which studies show could accelerate recovery and enhance performance⁽⁴⁾.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of turmeric and curcumin supplements that specifically benefit bodybuilders.

Reduces inflammation

We’ve all experienced sore, aching muscles after a gruesome workout.

And sometimes, even on off days, inflammation can make getting up and moving about challenging—but it doesn’t have to.

While taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory might dissipate the pain and discomfort, turmeric offers a far more potent and natural way to reduce inflammation.

Studies show that curcumin can reduce the synthesis of several inflammatory mediators, including TNF-α, IL-17, IL-1β, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)⁽⁵⁾.

By downregulating inflammatory mediators, curcumin may protect against the development of inflammation and inflammatory conditions that ensue.

That said, some level of inflammation is needed to heal, but excessive or chronic inflammation can put you out of the gym for days, weeks, or even months.

Perhaps the biggest benefit for bodybuilders is curcumin’s ability to reduce joint inflammation and arthritis, helping you to recover faster—we’ll talk about this next.

Protects joints

There’s no arguing that bodybuilding—and resistance training in general—are hard on the body, especially the joints.

High volume and loads combined with high-frequency training can leave joints sore, achy, and inflamed. Resulting in less motivation to get back in the gym.

While rest is an essential part of a well-tuned bodybuilding program, adding supplements that support joint health to protect them against inflammation and degradation is key. Studies find that when combined with ginger, another anti-inflammatory, turmeric can improve symptoms of arthritis and improve joint health.

Turmeric’s benefit for joint health is based on its ability to modify the NF-κB signaling, proinflammatory cytokines production, COX-2, and 5-LOX activities to mitigate inflammation before it gets out of hand.⁽⁶⁾

Related Post: Turmeric vs Glucosamine Chondroitin: Which is Better for Joint Health?

May accelerate recovery and reduce muscle soreness

With heavy, high-volume workouts, post-workout soreness is always a big thing, but if you can accelerate your recovery to get you back into the gym faster and stronger, why wouldn’t you?

Turmeric may just be your gold.

Thanks to its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, turmeric could be helpful in this department. Rodent studies find that curcumin supplementation can decrease IL-6 and TNF-α in muscle after downhill running-induced muscle damage and suppress hydrogen peroxide and oxidative stress in skeletal muscle^{(7, 8.)}

How? The anti-inflammatory property of curcumin inhibited an increase in inflammatory cytokines and creatine kinase, thereby attenuating muscle soreness and DOMS^{(9, 10)}.

So, if you’re worried about nagging performance deficits due to sore muscles and eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage, get yourself some turmeric. That said, do keep in mind that some experts argue that muscle damage triggers muscle growth, so subbing in some curcumin or turmeric could work against you and limit potential muscular adaptations.

Reduces fatigue

Training hard is virtually impossible with zero endurance. The best bodybuilders can work through high-volume training systems without losing stamina—and if you’re struggling, curcumin could help. The sensation of fatigue typically arises from exertion beyond one’s normal ability, and during bodybuilding training, it can happen quickly, leading to decreased work output and muscle adaptations.

Although several theories have been proposed for the onset of fatigue during physical exercise, reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be an underlying factor in oxidative skeletal muscle fatigue via cell membrane integrity damage by lipid peroxidation.⁽¹¹⁾ A 2015 rodent study published in Nutrients looked at the effects of curcumin supplementation on fatigue and ergogenic function after physical exertion in mice.⁽¹¹⁾

The group taking curcumin saw a dose-dependent increase in grip strength and endurance performance and significantly lower levels of lactate, ammonia, BUN, AST, ALT, and CK levels after physical exertion, all of which are markers used to measure fatigue.

Muscular glycogen content was also significantly higher in the curcumin group, suggesting that it could benefit athletes looking to improve exercise performance and prevent fatigue.

Related Post: How Long Does Turmeric Take to Work?

May Aid in Weight Loss

Weight management is crucial for bodybuilders, especially during the cutting phase, where the goal is to reduce body fat while preserving muscle mass. Two significant studies highlight turmeric's potential in aiding weight loss: Study 1: A meta-analysis of 50 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) found that curcumin supplementation significantly reduced body mass index (BMI) by -0.24 kg/m², body weight (BW) by -0.59 kg, and waist circumference (WC) by -1.32 cm. Bioavailability-enhanced curcumin formulas showed even greater reductions. These effects were notable in adults with obesity and diabetes.⁽¹²⁾

Study 2: A review of 11 studies with 876 participants showed curcumin supplementation reduced body weight by -1.14 kg and BMI by -0.48 kg/m². Although the overall effect on WC was not significant, higher doses (≥1000 mg/day) and longer durations (≥8 weeks) significantly reduced WC, particularly in overweight subjects.⁽¹³⁾

Turmeric aids in reducing body fat, especially around the waist, crucial during the cutting phase to enhance muscle definition and overall physique.

Related Post: Benefits of Turmeric for Men

How Much Turmeric For Bodybuilding?

Although turmeric is an excellent addition to your recovery routine, don’t rely on it to get the job done. Bodybuilding is a demanding sport, and getting your other ducks in a row is vital if you want to sculpt the best physique. But if you’re keen to add some turmeric into your diet, the dosing varies and spans a wide range.

Curcuminoids have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “Generally Recognized As Safe” and have good tolerability and safety profiles, even at doses as high as 4000 mg/day.⁽¹⁴⁾ So, what’s the best dosage? That depends on what you’re looking for.

For anyone going after its potent anti-inflammatory effects, the JECFA (The Joint United Nations and World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives) and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), recommended 0–3 mg/kg body weight⁽¹⁵⁾.

Several other studies have also used these dosages with positive results. However, even with a well-established safety profile, some adverse effects have been noted at higher doses, ranging from 500-1,200 mg. However, in sensitive individuals, mild side effects like nausea or headache may sometimes occur at higher doses, ranging from 500-1,200mg.

Related Post: How Long Does Turmeric Stay in Your System?

To avoid any unwelcome effects, stick to doses under 600 mg. And for even better results, consider something like Performance Lab® Flex—an ultramodern joint supplement curated specifically for active joint demands.

Flex works as a complete joint formula with water dispersible, highly bioavailable curcumin extract. Flex is a water dispersible complex with a fast dissolution time and longer lasting solubility. It’s 46x more absorbable than other forms.

Flex soothes and protects achy joints with easy-on-the-stomach botanicals AprèsFlex® Boswellia serrata and CurcuWIN® curcumin, plus provides lubrication and nourishment with Phytodroitin™, OptiMSM®, and corn glucosamine.

Shop Performance Lab® Flex

FAQs

Q: Can I use turmeric if I’m on other medications?

A: Turmeric can interact with certain medications, such as blood thinners. It's best to consult with a healthcare provider before adding turmeric supplements to your routine.

Q: How should I take turmeric for the best results?

A: Turmeric can be consumed in various forms, such as supplements, powders, or mixed into foods and beverages. Combining turmeric with black pepper (piperine) can enhance its bioavailability by up to 2000%.

Q: Can turmeric boost testosterone levels?

A: The effects of turmeric on testosterone levels aren't clear. In animal models, curcumin has shown protective effects on testosterone levels against toxins and alcohol, but it has also exhibited anti-androgenic properties in other scenarios. Human studies are needed to better understand the influence of turmeric on testosterone levels.