1. Introduction
DOMS, skeletal muscle, inflammation, EIMD, muscle damage
INFLAMMATION, OXIDATIVE STRESS
Unaccustomed eccentric exercise results in muscle damage limiting physical performance for several days. This study investigated if Greenshell™ mussel (GSM) powder consumption expedited muscle recovery from eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Methods: Twenty untrained adult men were recruited into a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study and were randomly assigned to receive the GSM powder or placebo treatment first. Participants consumed their allocated intervention for four weeks then completed a bench-stepping exercise that induced muscle damage to the eccentrically exercised leg. Muscle function, soreness and biomarkers of muscle damage, oxidative stress and inflammation were measured before exercise, immediately after exercise and 24, 48 and 72 h post exercise. GSM powder promoted muscle function recovery, significantly improving (Unaccustomed and prolonged eccentric exercise leads to muscle damage, resulting in reduced muscle strength and mobility [While the mechanisms underpinning EIMD and associated symptoms such as DOMS are not precisely known, reduced muscle function from muscle damage is attributed to the disturbance of the highly ordered sarcomere structure of skeletal muscle [There is increasing demand for nutritional strategies to reduce the severity of muscle damage or to expedite muscle recovery from EIMD. A variety of plant- and marine-derived foods to support muscle recovery following EIMD have been researched, and variable efficacy of polyphenol-rich foods and marine oils in various formats in accelerating the recovery of muscle performance and reducing DOMS following EIMD has been reported [New Zealand green-lipped mussel (The benefits of GSM oil in supporting muscle recovery from EIMD have been attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of bioactive constituents including in the ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), sterols, sterol esters and polar lipids [Although there is compelling clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of GSM oil for muscle recovery following EIMD, it is unclear whether supplementation with GSM powder is equally beneficial. PernaUltra™ is a flash-dried powder of GSM whole meat, prepared using a standardised proprietary manufacturing process. It is a complex blend of bioactive lipids, polysaccharides and proteins [