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

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests whether Solarplast® supplements can reduce muscle damage and inflammation after heavy weightlifting in active adults. Researchers aim to determine if Solarplast® speeds up recovery and maintains performance levels better than a placebo, which is a look-alike pill with no active ingredients. Participants will take either Solarplast® or a placebo daily for four weeks and visit the lab weekly. This trial suits those who lift weights at least twice a week and exercise for at least three hours each week. As an unphased trial, it offers participants the chance to contribute to early research on Solarplast®'s potential benefits for muscle recovery.

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.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research has shown that Solarplast is safe and generally well-tolerated. Studies suggest it might help reduce signs of inflammation and stress in the body, which relate to physical strain and muscle damage. These findings indicate that most people handle Solarplast well, with no major side effects reported. It appears to be a safe choice for those considering participation in a trial with this supplement. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Most treatments for muscle injuries focus on reducing inflammation and pain, often through medications like NSAIDs or corticosteroids. But Solarplast is different because it's a plant-based supplement derived from spinach. It works by harnessing the natural antioxidants and enzymes found in spinach to potentially speed up muscle recovery. Researchers are excited about Solarplast because it offers a natural alternative that might help the body heal more efficiently without the side effects associated with traditional medications.

What evidence suggests that Solarplast (R) supplementation could be effective for muscle injury recovery?

This trial will compare Solarplast® supplementation with a placebo to evaluate its effects on muscle injury recovery. Research has shown that Solarplast® may help reduce inflammation and stress in the body. Studies suggest it can lessen muscle damage in well-trained individuals after intense exercise. Its anti-inflammatory and cell-protective properties may aid muscle recovery. Solarplast® is derived from spinach and processed to enhance its beneficial components, potentially making it more effective than consuming regular spinach. While further research is needed to understand its effects after weightlifting, these findings suggest it could aid in faster recovery and performance maintenance. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

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

Subject has a body mass index of 18.0-34.9 kg/m2, inclusive

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 for a Trial Participant

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

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

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.

How Is the Trial Designed?

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+

Published Research Related to This Trial

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Citations

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Solarplast (R) Supplementation Effects Following High ...

The primary goal of this investigation is to assess whether Solarplast (R) supplementation will improve recovery following heavy resistance ...

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11641207/

Solarplast® Demonstrates Anti-Inflammatory and ...

The main outcomes include metabolic readouts, oxidative stress, inflammation, and secondary subjective assessments, including skin, physical, ...

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10384499/

Solarplast®—An Enzymatically Treated Spinach Extract

Spinach also alleviated oxidative stress and muscle damage in well-trained healthy young men [20]. However, to be effective, 20,000 g of spinach ...

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researchgate.net/publication/386161109_Solarplast_Demonstrates_Anti-Inflammatory_and_Anti-Oxidant_Activity_In_Vivo_and_Positively_Modulates_Perceived_Anti-Ageing_Quality_of_Life_Questionnaire_and_Skin_Analogue_Scale

(PDF) Solarplast Demonstrates Anti-Inflammatory and ...

The main outcomes include metabolic readouts, oxidative stress, inflammation, and secondary subjective assessments, including skin, physical, ...

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researchgate.net

researchgate.net/publication/372492774_Solarplast-An_Enzymatically_Treated_Spinach_Extract

(PDF) Solarplast—An Enzymatically Treated Spinach Extract

Through a specific enzymatic process, Solarplast® contains organic spinach protoplasts without the cell wall, which may facilitate higher yield ...

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clinicaltrials.gov

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05162820

Impact of Solarplast® on Immunity in Active Smokers and ...

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of Solarplast treatment on measures of oxidative stress, immune function, skin appearance, ...