Effect of 4-Week Ingestion of Tomato-Based Carotenoids on Exercise-Induced Inflammation, Muscle Damage, and Oxidative Stress in Endurance Runners

Abstract

This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial determined if ingestion of a supplement containing a tomato complex with lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene (T-LPP) and other compounds for 4 weeks would attenuate inflammation, muscle damage, and oxidative stress postexercise and during recovery from a 2-hr running bout that included 30 min of -10% downhill running. Study participants ingested the T-LPP supplement or placebo with the evening meal for 4 weeks prior to running 2 hr at high intensity. Blood samples and delayed onset muscle soreness ratings were taken pre- and post-4-week supplementation, and immediately following the 2-hr run, and then 1-hr, 24-hr, and 48-hr postrun. After a 2-week washout period, participants crossed over to the opposite treatment and repeated all procedures. Plasma lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene increased significantly in T-LPP compared with placebo (p < .001 for each). Significant time effects were shown for serum creatine kinase, delayed onset muscle soreness, C-reactive protein, myoglobin, 9- and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids, ferric reducing ability of plasma, and six plasma cytokines (p < .001 for each). The pattern of increase for serum myoglobin differed between T-LPP and placebo (interaction effect, p = .016, with lower levels in T-LPP), but not for creatine kinase, delayed onset muscle soreness, C-reactive protein, the six cytokines, 9- and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids, and ferric reducing ability of plasma. No significant time or interaction effects were measured for plasma-oxidized low-density lipoprotein or serum 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. In summary, supplementation with T-LPP over a 4-week period increased plasma carotenoid levels 73% and attenuated postexercise increases in the muscle damage biomarker myoglobin, but not inflammation and oxidative stress.

Inflammatory, Oxidative Stress, and Angiogenic Growth Factor Responses to Repeated-Sprint Exercise in Hypoxia

“…In contrast, the present study did not reveal a significant difference in exercise-induced Mb elevation between trials, suggesting that repeated-cycling exercise (short duration of exercise) in moderate hypoxia did not trigger a further increase in muscle damage markers compared with the same exercise in normoxia. However, because exercise using a cycle ergometer mainly consisting of concentric muscle contraction, exercise-induced Mb elevation was relatively lower than that reported in previous studies using running exercise, which involves eccentric muscle contraction (Nieman et al, 2018; Sumi et al, 2018). Moreover, exercise mode (running or cycling) might be one of the factors supporting elevation for shear stress.…”

The Role of Circulating Lycopene in Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…In ten intervention studies, biomarkers of inflammation were not reported to change after tomato/lycopene supplementation [ 59 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 70 , 73 , 74 , 75 ]. On the contrary, in a study by Li et al [ 60 ], tomato juice supplementation led to a decrease of inflammatory adipokine MCP-1, and an increase in anti-inflammatory adiponectin levels in healthy Taiwanese females (20–30 years).…”

“…Six included intervention studies evaluated possible associations between lycopene/tomato supplementation and inflammation in healthy participants. In three of these studies, markers of inflammation did not change after supplementation, although circulating lycopene had increased by about 50 percent [ 59 , 64 , 69 ]. However, in another study the lycopene concentration also increased 1.5 times, and a significant decrease in hs-CRP was observed [ 65 ].…”

Association of Carotenoids Concentration in Blood with Physical Performance in Korean Adolescents: The 2018 National Fitness Award Project

“…Carotenoids act as antioxidants in the human body, helping to maintain an antioxidant–ROS balance which can help improve physical performance. Nieman et al [ 28 ] reported that increased levels of carotenoids in the blood reduces muscle damage. In a study of Spanish adolescents, higher concentrations of vitamin C in male adolescents and β-carotene in female adolescents were positively associated with maximal oxygen consumption, and higher concentrations of β-carotene and α-tocopherol in male adolescents and β-carotene in female adolescents were associated with better performance in the standing long jump test [ 12 ].…”