Nutritional interventions for exercise-induced muscle damage: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized trials.

This umbrella review systematically evaluated 53 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials to assess the effects of 24 nutritional interventions on exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) in adults. The review found moderate-certainty evidence supporting hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB) and l-carnitine supplementation for reducing postexercise creatine kinase (CK) levels, HMB for lowering lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and leaf extract for reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and l-carnitine, curcumin, ginseng, polyphenols, and anthocyanins for alleviating muscle soreness (MS). Other supplements showed low to very low certainty of evidence or no significant effects on muscle damage markers or functional outcomes such as muscle strength and power. The authors note limitations including generally low methodological quality and evidence certainty, as well as potential publication bias, underscoring the need for cautious interpretation of these findings.