Evaluation of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on skeletal muscle damage and inflammation in runners following a competitive marathon R. Andrew Shanely a,b,⇑ , David C. Nieman a,b , Kevin A. Zwetsloot b , Amy M. Knab a,b , Hidetaka Imagita c , Beibei Luo d , Barbara Davis e , José M. Zubeldia f a Human Performance Laboratory, Appalachian State University, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC, USA b Appalachian State University, College of Health Sciences, Boone, NC, USA c Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan d Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China e PL Thomas & Co., Inc., Morristown, NJ, USA f PoliNat SL, Las Palmas, Spain article info Article history: Available online xxxx Keywords: Adaptogen Cytokine Heat shock protein 72 Skeletal muscle damage abstract Adaptogens modulate intracellular signaling and increase expression of heat shock protein 72 (HSP72). Rhodiola rosea (RR) is a medicinal plant with demonstrated adaptogenic properties. The purpose of this study was to measure the influence of RR supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage, delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), plasma cytokines, and extracellular HSP72 (eHSP72) in experienced runners completing a marathon. Experienced marathon runners were randomized to RR (n = 24, 6 female, 18 male) or placebo (n = 24, 7 female, 17 male) groups and under double-blinded conditions ingested 600 mg/day RR extract or placebo for 30 days prior to, the day of, and seven days post-marathon. Blood samples were collected, and vertical jump and DOMS assessed the day before, 15 min post- and 1.5 h post-marathon. DOMS was also assessed for seven days post-marathon. Marathon race performance did not differ between RR and placebo groups (3.87 ± 0.12 h and 3.93 ± 0.12 h, respectively, p = 0.722). Vertical jump decreased post-marathon (time effect, p < 0.001) with no difference between groups (inter- action effect, p = 0.673). Post-marathon DOMS increased significantly (p < 0.001) but the pattern of change did not differ between groups (p = 0.700). Myoglobin (Mb), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aspar- tate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, monocyte che- motactic protein-1 (MCP-1), granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and eHSP72 all increased post-marathon (all p < 0.001), with no group differences over time (all p > 0.300). In conclusion, RR supplementation (600 mg/day) for 30 days before running a marathon did not attenuate the post-marathon decrease in muscle function, or increases in muscle damage, DOMS, eHSP72, or plasma cytokines in experienced runners. Ó 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Prolonged intense endurance exercise can produce a profound stress response and skeletal muscle damage. The stress response of completing a marathon is reflected by the substantial increase in the plasma concentration of many pro-inflammatory and anti- inflammatory cytokines, e.g., (Nieman et al., 2001; Suzuki et al., 2000). The repetitive eccentric component incurred while running a marathon results in focal damage to the skeletal muscle fiber ultrastructure that is associated with glycogen and lipid depletion (Warhol et al., 1985). Damage to the sarcolemma allows proteins that are otherwise compartmentalized within skeletal muscle to leak into the circulation (Cummins et al., 1987; Suzuki et al., 2000). Attenuating the amplitude of the stress response and skele- tal muscle damage through nutritional countermeasures is of great interest. For example, carbohydrate supplementation during pro- longed and intensive exercise attenuates inflammation during recovery (Nieman et al., 2001) and combined vitamin C and E sup- plementation counters inflammation, oxidative stress, and in- creases in stress hormones (Fischer et al., 2004, 2006). Heat shock protein (HSP)72 is an inducible molecular chaper- one. On exposure to stressors such as increased heat, hypoxia, inflammation, free radical production, decreased glycogen, in- creased stress hormones, and others, intracellular (iHSP72) expres- sion and extracellular (eHSP72) levels increase (Morton et al., 2009; Yamada et al., 2008). During an acute bout of exercise, 0889-1591/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2013.09.005 ⇑ Corresponding author at: Human Performance Laboratory, North Carolina Research Campus, 600 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA. Tel.: +1 (704) 250 5357; fax: +1 (704) 250 5409. E-mail address: shanelyra@appstate.edu (R.A. Shanely). Brain, Behavior, and Immunity xxx (2013) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Brain, Behavior, and Immunity journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ybrbi Please cite this article in press as: Shanely, R.A., et al. Evaluation of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on skeletal muscle damage and inflammation in run- ners following a competitive marathon. Brain Behav. Immun. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2013.09.005