Spirulina Nigrita and muscle damage after arm exercise
What it found
In 14 healthy adults, taking Spirulina Nigrita for 15 days did not reduce muscle soreness, strength loss or other signs of damage after an intense arm exercise session.
The authors found no benefit for recovery.
What they found
Studies in people
Muscle strength
After the exercise, peak torque dropped in both the spirulina and placebo groups and stayed lower for 72 hours. Spirulina did not reduce this strength loss, and there was a non-significant trend for a larger drop with spirulina.
Muscle soreness
Soreness increased after exercise and remained higher at 24, 48 and 72 hours in both groups. Spirulina did not change the level of soreness compared with placebo.
Arm mobility
The range of motion of the elbow decreased after exercise in both groups. Spirulina did not affect the overall pattern, though at 24 hours the reduction was significantly greater in the spirulina group.
Blood markers of damage
Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase rose only in the men, at 48 and 72 hours after exercise. Spirulina did not significantly change these markers, but there was a trend for higher levels with spirulina.
Arm swelling
Arm circumference did not change after exercise, and spirulina had no effect on it.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, Spirulina Nigrita ® supplementation (42 mg Kg −1 BW per day for 15 days) did not alleviate symptoms of EIMD or enhance recovery after a damaging eccentric protocol of the upper limbs.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that Spirulina Nigrita supplementation at 42 mg per kg body weight per day for 15 days did not alleviate symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage or enhance recovery after a damaging eccentric protocol of the upper limbs.
- They suggest that the lack of effect could be due to the low dose, the short supplementation period, or the small amount of muscle damaged in the upper limbs.
- They advise that different strains or higher doses of spirulina might be more effective, but this needs further study.
How it was done
Spirulina is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and some studies suggest it might help recovery after intense exercise. The authors wanted to test a popular Greek spirulina strain in a properly controlled trial, because it is widely used by athletes despite lacking clinical evidence.
They ran a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 14 healthy, moderately active men and women aged 18 to 30. Each person took either spirulina (42 mg per kg of body weight per day) or a placebo for 15 days, then did an eccentric arm exercise on a dynamometer, with a six-week washout before switching to the other supplement.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was small, with only 14 people, so it may have missed small effects.
- The exercise was on the upper arm, so the results may not apply to other types of exercise or muscle groups.
- The 15-day supplementation period may be too short to show effects that might appear with longer use.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Postgraduate Program "Applied Nutrition and Dietetics", School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University of Athens (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Harokopio University of Athens, Greece
The paper
- Title
- Effect of Spirulina Nigrita ® Supplementation on Indices of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage after Eccentric Protocol of Upper Limbs in Apparently Healthy Volunteers
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Krokidas A, Gakis AG, Aktypi O, Antonopoulou S, Nomikos T (2024). Effect of Spirulina Nigrita ® Supplementation on Indices of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage after Eccentric Protocol of Upper Limbs in Apparently Healthy Volunteers. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu16111651Free full textPubMed 38892584DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error