Proof of Principle: Short-Term Sulforaphane Precursor Intake Alters Selected Circulating Oxidative Stress and Muscle Damage Biomarkers Following Maximal Exercise: A Double-Blind Crossover Trial.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized double-blind crossover trial
PubMed 42654196 · doi:10.3390/nu18162617
What was done
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, 14 healthy young adults (7 men, 7 women; mean age 25.1 years) received sulforaphane glucosinolate capsules (200 µmol/day) or a placebo for 2 weeks, followed by a 3-week washout period before crossing over. Participants completed maximal exercise tests after each supplementation period. Blood samples were collected at baseline, pre-exercise, immediately post-exercise, and 2 hours post-exercise to evaluate endurance capacity, blood cell counts, muscle damage markers (creatine kinase and myoglobin), and oxidative stress markers (d-ROMs and OXY-adsorbent tests).
What was found
Sulforaphane precursor supplementation did not alter endurance capacity or blood cell counts. However, it significantly attenuated post-exercise serum creatine kinase activity (SFN: 121.52 ± 16.89 vs. placebo: 291.84 ± 133.07, p = 0.034) and myoglobin concentration (SFN: 15.82 ± 1.95 vs. placebo: 27.31 ± 5.71, p = 0.011). Absolute oxidative stress markers showed no significant differences, but percent changes from baseline showed a significant interaction with supplementation for d-ROMs (SFN: 107.42 ± 2.39 vs. placebo: 112.32 ± 2.11, p = 0.038) and OXY-adsorbent tests (SFN: 115.97 ± 4.15 vs. placebo: 107.73 ± 3.88, p = 0.032).
Why it matters
This study provides proof-of-principle evidence that short-term sulforaphane precursor intake can attenuate circulating biomarkers of muscle damage and alter oxidative stress responses after maximal exercise, though it does not improve endurance performance.
Limits
The sample size was very small (n = 14), and the intervention was short-term (2 weeks). The study measured circulating surrogate biomarkers rather than direct functional muscle recovery or clinical outcomes, and the population was restricted to young, healthy adults.
Cited by
- context Clinical studies on sulforaphane typically target a daily dosage of between 50 and 100 micromoles.