Preventive effect of yacon leaves capsule in reducing symptoms of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage (EIMD) is the disruption of skeletal muscle after high-intensity exercise, leading to decreased performance. Furthermore, it is a common condition following vigorous exercise, particularly in individuals unaccustomed to performance. This disruption results in a decrease in strength, muscle soreness, swelling, and the release of several cytokines, both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory. Symptoms of EIMD include Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and a loss of physical function. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of a 14-day administration of yacon leaves capsule supplementation on DOMS and inflammation post-EIMD.To achieve this, an experimental pretest and posttest control group design with a randomized control trial approach was adopted. A total of 32 Recreational male students of the Sports Science Universitas Negeri Surabaya were randomly and double-blindly assigned to either yacon capsule supplementation (n=16) or placebo (n=16) group. Participants were instructed to take a yacon capsule or placebo after breakfast for 14 days. The study groups were subjected to a muscle-damaging protocol consisting of 7 sets of 10 eccentric single-leg press repetitions on a leg press machine. DOMS and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) were determined at 0-h (baseline), 24-h, and 48-h post-exercise before and after 14-day supplementation periods.The results showed that DOMS and IL-6 serum increased at 24 hours post-EIMD when compared to baseline. Additionally, a significant reduction in both DOMS and IL-6 serum levels was observed within the yacon group compared to the placebo group (p<0.05).In conclusion, yacon leaves capsule supplementation was able to attenuate the risk of muscle damage by decreasing DOMS levels and IL-6 serum in the blood.