Nutritional strategies to improve exercise recovery: potential of a synergistic polyphenol blend to modulate molecular biomarkers associated with immune response

Synergistic polyphenol blends containing curcumin and pomegranate ellagitannins have been reported to improve exercise recovery via reduced muscle injury and optimized inflammatory response. The purpose of the present study was to use molecular biomarkers to identify specific innate immune response pathways that may be improved by supplementation with a synergistic polyphenol blend. Participants were randomized to either synergistic polyphenol blend (SPC; 1000 mg/d of standardized curcuminoids and pomegranate ellagitannins; Restoridyn ® ; Verdure Sciences; n = 13) or placebo ( n = 14) for 28-d prior to running a half marathon. Venous blood samples were collected at PRE, 2H, and 4H after running a half mara-thon and isolated RNA was analyzed for the expression of 774 mRNA associated with 40 immune response pathways using a standardized panel. With SPC, at 2H pathways had attenuated activation (T-cell Activation, NK Cell Cytotoxicity), blunted activation (Type 1 IFN), and reduced suppression (JAK-STAT, Inflammatory Signaling, Lipid Metabolism, and Stress Response/DNA Damage). The average differential expression change with SPC at 2H reflected 25% less suppression of immune pathways. While the average differential expression change with SPC at 4H reflected a 232% enhancement of activation (IFN Signaling, JAK-STAT, Growth Signaling, Apoptosis Regulation, Metabolic Recovery, mTOR/Nutrient Sensing, and Transcriptional Regulation). The observed SPC effect represents an improved immune responsiveness after a long duration event, which may translate to faster resolution of inflammation and return to normal function. These findings may have broad implications for individuals exposed to other types of physiological stress.