These observations provided a rationale for evaluating if curcumin, administered as a lecithin formulation (Meriva®) to improve absorption, could attenuate damage from oxidative stress and inflammation related to acute muscle injury induced by eccentric continuous exercise. Methods The study was a randomised, placebo-controlled, single-centre, single-blind pilot trial. It was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and was approved by the local Ethics Committee of the Consell Català de l’Esport (0099S/ 4882/2010). The study was carried out at the Sports Physiology Dept. of the Olympic Training Center “Centre d’Alt Rendiment” of Sant

Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain. Subjects Twenty male healthy, moderately active (regular aerobic exercise

for at least 4 hours per week), non-smoking volunteers with no known musculoskeletal Deforolimus cell line pathology were recruited. Subjects had to have a maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) of at least 35 ml/kg, as assessed by the maximal treadmill exercise test. Subjects were excluded if they met one or more of the following exclusion criteria: treatment with anti-inflammatory/analgesic/antioxidant drugs in the previous month, abnormal liver or renal function tests, laboratory findings suggestive of an active inflammatory or infectious process and presence of any known Target Selective Inhibitor Library disease. Proper eligibility

of all subjects was evaluated by a comprehensive medical history and physical examination by a sports medicine physician. Supplement Subjects were randomised (1:1) to curcumin given as the Phytosome® delivery system (Meriva®, Indena S.p.A. Milan, Italy) 1 g twice daily (corresponding to 200 mg curcumin twice a day) at breakfast and dinner, or a matching placebo. Supplementation was initiated 48 hours prior to the test and was continued for Gemcitabine 24 hours after the test (4 days in total). Study subjects and physicians performing the radiologic and laboratory assessments were blinded to treatment, whereas the sports medicine physicians involved in exercise testing were not. Exercise testing Maximal exercise test Each participant completed a standardized maximal treadmill exercise test. A fixed treadmill grade (3%) was maintained throughout the test. The treadmill speed was initially set at 6 km/h, and increased by 1 km/h each minute until maximum sustainable effort (muscle fatigue or stabilisation/decline in VO2max) [32, 33]. Maximal speed (Spdmax), the speed at the anaerobic threshold (Spdat) and the VO2max were recorded for each participant. The tests were completed on a motorised treadmill (ERGelek EG2, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain). Expired air was sampled using indirect calorimetric system (Master Screen CPX, Erich Jaeger, Wurzburg, Germany).