Email this article Effects of Supplementation and Resistance Training on Inflammation, Muscle Damage, and DOMS in Untrained Individuals
Abstract
Resistance training elevates biomarkers of inflammation, muscle damage, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), particularly in untrained individuals. However, evidence regarding the combined effects of whey protein, β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate (HMB), and creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation during resistance training remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of combined supplementation and resistance training on interleukin-6 (IL-6), myoglobin, blood lactate concentration, and DOMS in untrained individuals. A single-blind randomized trial was conducted over an eight-week period involving 44 untrained males aged 20-22 years recruited using consecutive sampling and allocated into four groups, including P0 (resistance training only), P1 (whey protein + HMB), P2 (whey protein + CrM), and P3 (whey protein + HMB + CrM). IL-6 and myoglobin were assessed at Weeks 1 and 8, blood lactate concentration was assessed at Weeks 4 and 8, and DOMS was evaluated at 24 and 48 hours after the resistance training sessions performed during Weeks 1, 4, and 8. IL-6 did not differ significantly across groups (p > 0.05). Myoglobin concentrations showed small and inconsistent responses, although a significant reduction was observed in P3 (−4.50%; p = 0.0420; median difference = −236.2 pg/mL, 98.83% CI [−478.6, 59.2]). Blood lactate concentration changed significantly over time (p < 0.001; ηp² = 0.824), while DOMS scores progressively decreased throughout the intervention (p < 0.0001; ηp² = 0.624). Overall, repeated resistance training appeared to be the primary factor driving physiological adaptations, whereas supplementation effects were generally limited. More frequent post-exercise sampling should be considered in future studies to better characterize the temporal pattern of the assessed marker, and stricter analytical procedures to further clarify the effects of combined whey protein, HMB, and creatine monohydrate supplementation during resistance training adaptations.
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References
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/jpjo.v11i2.100727
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