Peer-Reviewed Journal Details
Mandatory Fields
Black CD, Herring MP, Hurley DJ, O'Connor PJ
2010
September
Journal Of Pain
Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) Reduces Muscle Pain Caused by Eccentric Exercise
Published
()
Optional Fields
DOMS Muscle Injury Randomized Trial Strength PGE2
11
9
894
903
Ginger has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in rodents, but its effect on
human muscle pain is uncertain. Heat treatment of ginger has been suggested to enhance its
hypoalgesic effects. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 11 days of raw (study
1) and heat-treated (study 2) ginger supplementation on muscle pain. Study 1 and 2 were identical
double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized experiments with 34 and 40 volunteers, respectively.
Participants consumed 2 grams of either raw (study 1) or heated (study 2) ginger or placebo for 11
consecutive days. Participants performed 18 eccentric actions of the elbow flexors to induce pain
and inflammation. Pain intensity, perceived effort, plasma prostaglandin E2, arm volume, range-of motion and isometric strength were assessed prior to and for 3 days after exercise.
Results: Raw (25%, –.78 SD, P = .041) and heat-treated (23%, –.57 SD, P = .049) ginger resulted in similar pain reductions 24 hours after eccentric exercise compared to placebo. Smaller effects were noted between both types of ginger and placebo on other measures. Daily supplementation with ginger
reduced muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise, and this effect was not enhanced by heat treating
the ginger.
Perspective: This study demonstrates that daily consumption of raw and heat-treated ginger resulted
in moderate-to-large reductions in muscle pain following exercise-induced muscle injury.
Our findings agree with those showing hypoalgesic effects of ginger in osteoarthritis patients and
further demonstrate ginger’s effectiveness as a pain reliever.
Grant Details