Solarplast Supplements for Muscle Injury

Overseen By Adam R Jajtner, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Kent State University

Must not be taking: Corticosteroids, NSAIDs, Antibiotics, others

Disqualifiers: Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiac, others

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

46 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

Yes, you will need to stop taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications, including corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics, at least 14 days before the screening visit.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Solarplast for muscle injury?

Research suggests that vitamin D, a component often found in supplements like Solarplast, can help improve muscle recovery and repair. A study showed that vitamin D supplementation improved muscle function and recovery after exercise in individuals with low vitamin D levels. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the treatment Solarplast differ from other treatments for muscle injury?

Solarplast is unique because it is derived from natural sources and may offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, which can help protect against muscle damage and promote recovery, unlike traditional treatments that may not focus on these aspects. ^{4 6 7 8 9}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The primary goal of this investigation is to assess whether Solarplast (R) supplementation will improve recovery following heavy resistance exercise in active adults. The primary questions to be addressed are: Does Solarplast (R) decrease muscle damage and inflammation associated with heavy resistance exercise? Does Solarplast (R) reduce the decline in performance associate with heavy resistance exercise? Researchers will compare Solarplast (R) to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no active ingredients) to see if Solarplast (R) is effective at improving recovery. Participants will be asked to: Take Solarplast (R) or placebo daily for 4 weeks Visit the laboratory at least once per week to receive their supplement Report to the lab for 3 consecutive visits following supplementation to complete a heavy resistance training session and follow-up testing.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for active adults who can handle high-intensity resistance exercise. Participants must be willing to take a daily supplement (Solarplast(R) or placebo) for 4 weeks and visit the lab weekly, plus attend three consecutive sessions after supplementation for training and tests.

Inclusion Criteria

Recreationally-active (participated in at least 2 weight training workouts per week over the previous year) and participates in at least 3h of total structured exercise/week as determined by the health and activity questionnaire

Subject is willing to maintain habitual diet throughout the study period

I am considered healthy with no physical limitations.

Exclusion Criteria

I have a chronic illness that needs ongoing medical care.

Subject is currently or will be enrolled in another clinical trial

Subject is engaged in an extreme diet including but not limited to, Atkins, South Beach, Intermittent Fasting, etc

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Supplementation

Participants take Solarplast (R) or placebo daily for 4 weeks

4 weeks

1 visit per week (in-person)

Resistance Training and Testing

Participants complete a heavy resistance training session and follow-up testing

1 week

3 consecutive visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Placebo
• Solarplast (R)

Trial Overview The study aims to find out if Solarplast(R), compared with a placebo, can reduce muscle damage and inflammation from intense workouts, as well as prevent performance decline. It involves taking supplements over four weeks followed by lab visits and testing.

Participant Groups

Group I: Solarplast (R) Active Control 1 Intervention

100mg/day of Solarplast (R) supplementation (28 days).

Group II: Placebo Placebo Group 1 Intervention

100mg/day of Placebo (maltodextrin (98.8%) and medium chain triglycerides (1.2%)).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Kent State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

46

Recruited

6,900+

Findings from Research

Regenerative therapies significantly improve the functional capacity of skeletal muscle after volumetric muscle loss (VML) injury, with an overall effect size of 0.75 based on a review of 44 studies, indicating a meaningful treatment effect.

The most effective treatment identified was the combination of an acellular biomaterial with stem or progenitor cells, suggesting that current regenerative therapies need further development to achieve more substantial improvements in muscle function.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Therapeutic Approaches for Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Greising, SM., Corona, BT., McGann, C., et al.[2020]

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy significantly increased the number of regenerating myofibers in a mouse model of muscle contusion, indicating its potential effectiveness in enhancing muscle healing after injury.

The therapy also improved muscle strength, showing that mesenchymal stem cells can positively impact recovery in sports medicine, although their rapid decay suggests that their benefits may be due to a paracrine effect rather than direct cell integration.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Application of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Muscle Healing After Contusion Injury in Mice. Chiu, CH., Chang, TH., Chang, SS., et al.[2020]

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial with 20 males showed that vitamin D3 supplementation (4,000 IU/day) significantly increased serum 25(OH)D levels and improved recovery of muscle strength after damaging eccentric contractions, indicating its efficacy in muscle repair.

In vitro studies on human muscle cells demonstrated that vitamin D (1α,25(OH)2D3) enhanced muscle cell migration and differentiation, suggesting that adequate vitamin D levels may support muscle regeneration and growth after injury.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systems-based investigation into vitamin D and skeletal muscle repair, regeneration, and hypertrophy. Owens, DJ., Sharples, AP., Polydorou, I., et al.[2015]

Dietary Alaska pollack protein (APP) significantly promoted muscle recovery in rats after immobilization, leading to greater weight gains in key skeletal muscles compared to a high-fat casein diet.

APP diet enhanced the expression of important recovery-related genes (Igf1 and Myog) in the soleus muscle, suggesting a mechanism for its effectiveness in muscle regeneration after atrophy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dietary Alaska pollack protein improves skeletal muscle weight recovery after immobilization-induced atrophy in rats. Fujitani, M., Mizushige, T., Kawabata, F., et al.[2020]

The publication on the therapeutic effects of resveratrol liposome on muscle injury in rats has been retracted due to concerns about the originality of the figure images, indicating potential issues with the integrity of the research.

As a result of the retraction, the findings and conclusions presented in the study should be viewed with caution, as they may not be reliable or valid.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Retracted: Therapeutic Effects of Resveratrol Liposome on Muscle Injury in Rats. Feng, Y., He, Z., Mao, C., et al.[2022]

Salvia plebeia R.Br. (SPR) and its major component, rosmarinic acid (RosA), have shown protective effects against dexamethasone-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in laboratory myotube models, indicating their potential as treatments for muscle weakness.

RosA works by promoting the Akt/p70S6K/mTOR signaling pathway, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing cellular viability, which suggests a mechanism for its anti-atrophic effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Salvia plebeia R.Br. and Rosmarinic Acid Attenuate Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C2C12 Myotubes. Kim, JY., Kim, HM., Kim, JH., et al.[2023]

A 3-week supplementation of Spirulina platensis in 16 untrained students significantly reduced plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, indicating a decrease in oxidative stress related to skeletal muscle damage.

Participants taking spirulina also experienced increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and extended time to exhaustion during exercise, suggesting that spirulina may enhance exercise performance and protect against muscle damage.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preventive effects of Spirulina platensis on skeletal muscle damage under exercise-induced oxidative stress. Lu, HK., Hsieh, CC., Hsu, JJ., et al.[2018]

Spirulina hydrolysates (SPH) significantly promote the differentiation of muscle cells (C2C12) and increase myotube size, likely due to enhanced expression of muscle-specific genes MyoD1 and Myf5.

SPH effectively inhibits muscle atrophy induced by dexamethasone by suppressing key proteins involved in muscle degradation (Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1) and regulating the Akt/FoxO3a signaling pathway, suggesting its potential as a functional food for muscle health.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Protein Hydrolysate from Spirulina platensis Prevents Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy via Akt/Foxo3 Signaling in C2C12 Myotubes. Lee, CW., Chang, YB., Park, CW., et al.[2022]

In a study involving aged Dystrophin-deficient (mdx) mice, catalpol treatment for 6 weeks significantly improved muscle strength and reduced muscle damage, as indicated by increased stride length and grip strength, along with decreased plasma markers of muscle injury.

Catalpol was found to reduce muscle fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/TAK1 signaling pathway, suggesting it may offer a novel therapeutic approach for managing Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) without affecting dystrophin expression.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Catalpol counteracts the pathology in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy by inhibiting the TGF-β1/TAK1 signaling pathway. Xu, DQ., Zhao, L., Li, SJ., et al.[2022]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Therapeutic Approaches for Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. [2020]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Application of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Muscle Healing After Contusion Injury in Mice. [2020]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systems-based investigation into vitamin D and skeletal muscle repair, regeneration, and hypertrophy. [2015]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dietary Alaska pollack protein improves skeletal muscle weight recovery after immobilization-induced atrophy in rats. [2020]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Retracted: Therapeutic Effects of Resveratrol Liposome on Muscle Injury in Rats. [2022]

6. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Salvia plebeia R.Br. and Rosmarinic Acid Attenuate Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C2C12 Myotubes. [2023]

7. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preventive effects of Spirulina platensis on skeletal muscle damage under exercise-induced oxidative stress. [2018]

8. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Protein Hydrolysate from Spirulina platensis Prevents Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy via Akt/Foxo3 Signaling in C2C12 Myotubes. [2022]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Catalpol counteracts the pathology in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy by inhibiting the TGF-β1/TAK1 signaling pathway. [2022]