Effects of Zingiber cassumunar (Plai cream) in the treatment of delayed onset muscle soreness.

Nuttaset Manimmanakorn; Apiwan Manimmanakorn; Disaphon Boobphachart; Worrawut Thuwakum; Wiroon Laupattarakasem; Michael J Hamlin

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Effects of Zingiber cassumunar (Plai cream) in the treatment of delayed onset muscle soreness.

Author: Nuttaset MANIMMANAKORN ¹ ; Apiwan MANIMMANAKORN ² ; Disaphon BOOBPHACHART ³ ; Worrawut THUWAKUM ⁴ ; Wiroon LAUPATTARAKASEM ⁵ ; Michael J HAMLIN ⁶
Author Information

1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
2. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
3. Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education, Ubonratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubonratchathani, 34000, Thailand.
4. Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Science, Uttaradit Rajabhat University, Uttaradit, 53000, Thailand.
5. Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
6. Department of Tourism, Sport and Society, Lincoln University, Lincoln, 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Publication Type:Journal Article
MeSH: Adult; Creatine Kinase; blood; Exercise; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Strength; Myalgia; drug therapy; Ointments; Zingiberaceae
From: Journal of Integrative Medicine 2016;14(2):114-120
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of Zingiber cassumunar (Plai cream) in either 7% or 14% concentration on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
METHODSSeventy-five untrained healthy volunteers (28 males and 47 females), performed 4 sets of 25 eccentric repetitions of the dominant quadriceps muscle on an isokinetic dynamometry machine. Participants were then randomized into 3 groups: 14% Plai cream, 7% Plai cream and placebo cream. Two grams of the cream (strips of 5-cm long) were gently rubbed into the quadriceps muscles for 5 min immediately following the exercise and every 8 h thereafter for 7 d in all groups. Muscle soreness, muscle strength, jump height, thigh circumference and creatine kinase were measured before and after eccentric exercise.
RESULTSCompared to the placebo cream the 14% Plai cream substantially reduced muscle soreness over the 7 d by -82% (95% CI = -155% to -6%, P = 0.03), but had similar muscle soreness effects to 7% Plai cream (-34%, -96% to 27%, P = 0.2). Compared to the placebo cream the 7% Plai cream resulted in a small non-significant reduction in muscle soreness levels over the following 7 d (-40%, -116% to 36%, P = 0.3). Compared to placebo cream there was little effect of Plai cream (7% or 14%) on muscle strength, jump height, thigh circumference or creatine kinase concentration.
CONCLUSIONUsing 14% Plai cream over a 7-day period substantially reduced muscle soreness symptoms compared to 7% Plai cream or a placebo cream. The authors suggest that the administration of 14% Plai cream is a useful alternative in the management of DOMS.
TRIAL REGISTRATIONThai Clinical Trial Registry TCTR20140215001.