Effect of the herbal supplement ReWin(d) on the recovery of delayed onset muscle soreness induced-exercise

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in the use of eccentric muscle exercise to improve physical condition, especially with regards to its health-related benefits. However, it is known that unaccustomed eccentric exercise causes muscle damage and delayed pain, commonly defined as "delayed onset muscle soreness" (DOMS). The efficacy of herbal preparations in subjects suffering from DOMS has been reported in a few previous studies with small or moderate outcome measures related to muscle recovery. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of a polyherbal mixture containing whole Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Bixa orellana L., powders called ReWin(d) in young male athletes suffering from DOMS induced by a 1-hour session of plyometric exercises. Thirty-three young male athletes participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 17 of them assigned to the Rewin(d) group and 16 of them to the Placebo group. Creatine kinase (CK) was measured as a muscle damage marker, pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), muscle performance was measured through half-squat exercise (HS) monitored with an accelerometer (Encoder) and Heart rate variability (HRV) was monitored for 5 minutes with the subjects in the supine position. All determinations were performed before and after the eccentric session and 24, 48 and 72 hours after the session.