Effects of Beetroot and Pomegranate Juice Supplementation on Creatine Kinase and C-Reactive Protein in Amateur Soccer Players
Background: Intense physical activity, such as football (soccer), can induce exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and associated inflammatory responses. These perturbations can lead to increased levels in serum biomarkers such as creatine kinase (CK) and C-reactive protein (CRP). In response, athletes increasingly employ various recovery modalities, with nutritional interventions featuring antioxidant properties representing a prominent strategy.
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of beetroot juice (BEJ) and pomegranate juice (POJ)—beverages recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential—, on modulating CK and CRP levels in football players throughout a regular training cycle.
Participants and Methods: A cohort of 18 amateur football players was allocated into three groups (n=6 per group): a pomegranate juice (POJ) group; a beetroot juice (BEJ) group; and a placebo (PLA) group. Baseline CK and CRP levels were determined before and after a high intensity training (HIT) session prior to supplementation. Participants then consumed their daily supplement for 22 days. CK and CRP levels were re-assessed 24 hours before and after HIT sessions on days 12 and 22 of the intervention.
Results: Following the 22-day supplementation period, CK levels was significantly lower in both POJ (209.30 ± 44.25 IU/L, p < 0.0001) and BEJ (188.27 ± 26.29 IU/L p < 0.0001) compared to the PLA group (327.75 ± 15.32 IU/L). No statistically significant difference in CK reduction was observed between the POJ and BEJ groups (p >0.05). In contrast, CRP levels did not exhibit any significant changes across the groups at any measurement point (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: The findings reveal that both pomegranate and beet juices supplementation offer comparable protective effects against EMID, as demonstrated by the attenuation of post-exercise CK levels. This underlines the significance of the quality and diversity of bioactive compounds in nutritional recovery strategies. The study also highlights the complex relationship between exercise, muscle damage, and systemic inflammation, necessitating the exploration of further markers for a complete assessment.
How to Cite
Akhavan, H., Barzegar, M., Weidlich, H., & Zimmermann, B. F. (2015). Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Juices from Ten Iranian Pomegranate Cultivars Depend on Extraction. Journal of Chemistry, 2015, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/907101
AlMatar, M., Var, I., Kayar, B., Eker, E., Kafkas, E., Zarifikhosroshahi, M., & Köksal, F. (2019). Evaluation of Polyphenolic Profile and Antibacterial Activity of Pomegranate Juice in Combination with Rifampin (R) against MDR-TB Clinical Isolates. Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, 20(4), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.2174/1389201020666190308130343
Ammar, A., Trabelsi, K., Bailey, S. J., Turki, M., Bragazzi, N. L., Boukhris, O., El Abed, K., Bouaziz, M., Ayadi, F., Tarak Driss, Souissi, N., Chtourou, H., & Hökelmann, A. (2020). Effects of natural polyphenol-rich pomegranate juice supplementation on plasma ion and lipid profiles following resistance exercise: A placebo-controlled trial. Nutrition & Metabolism, 17(31). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-020-00451-1
Ammar, A., Turki, M., Chtourou, H., Hammouda, O., Trabelsi, K., Kallel, C., Abdelkarim, O., Hoekelmann, A., Bouaziz, M., Ayadi, F., Driss, T., & Souissi, N. (2016). Pomegranate Supplementation Accelerates Recovery of Muscle Damage and Soreness and Inflammatory Markers after a Weightlifting Training Session. PLOS ONE, 11(10), e0160305. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0160305
Ammar, A., Turki, M., Hammouda, O., Chtourou, H., Trabelsi, K., Bouaziz, M., Abdelkarim, O., Hoekelmann, A., Ayadi, F., Souissi, N., Bailey, S., Driss, T., & Yaich, S. (2017). Effects of Pomegranate Juice Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Biomarkers Following Weightlifting Exercise. Nutrients, 9(8), 819. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9080819
Barnett, A. (2006). Using recovery modalities between training sessions in elite athletes. Does it help? Sports Medicine, 36(9), 781–796.
Bazaria, B., & Kumar, P. (2016). Compositional Changes in Functional Attributes of Vacuum Concentrated Beetroot Juice: Vacuum Concentration on Beetroot Juice Composition. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 40(6), 1215–1222. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.12705
Beals, K., Allison, K. F., Darnell, M., Lovalekar, M., Baker, R., Nieman, D. C., Vodovotz, Y., & Lephart, S. M. (2017). The effects of a tart cherry beverage on reducing exercise-induced muscle soreness. Isokinetics and Exercise Science, 25(1), 53–63. https://doi.org/10.3233/IES-160645
Beavers, K. M., Brinkley, T. E., & Nicklas, B. J. (2010). Effect of exercise training on chronic inflammation. Clinica Chimica Acta, 411(11–12), 785–793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2010.02.069
Becker, M., Sperlich, B., Zinner, C., & Achtzehn, S. (2020). Intra-Individual and Seasonal Variation of Selected Biomarkers for Internal Load Monitoring in U-19 Soccer Players. Frontiers in Physiology, 11, 838. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00838
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. plant treatment by ultrasounds and microwaves to improve antioxidants yield and quality: An overview
- Study of the relationship between nutrition, physical activity and overweight/obesity in children in a school context: Study of the relationship between nutrition, physical activity
- Modeling of nitrate leaching kinetics during spinach leaf midribs blanching

NAJFNR is licensed under