Spirulina supplementation prevents exercise‐induced lipid peroxidation, inflammation and skeletal muscle damage in elite rugby players

Background The present study aimed to examine the effects of spirulina supplementation on pro/antioxidant status, inflammation and skeletal muscle damage markers immediately and 24 h after exhaustive exercise in elite rugby players. Methods Seventeen elite male Rugby Union players were randomly assigned to a spirulina (SPI: n = 9) or placebo (PLA: n = 8) group in a double‐blind design. Subjects were supplemented with Spirulina platensis (5.7 g day–1) or placebo (isoproteic and caloric) for 7 weeks. At baseline and after 7 weeks of supplementation, blood samples were obtained before (T0), immediately after (T1) and 24 h after (T2) exhaustive exercise. The Yoyo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 was used as an exhaustive exercise to induce oxidative stress (OS), inflammation and skeletal muscle damage. The studied parameters included pro/antioxidant status markers (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione/glutathione disulphide ratio, oxidised low‐density lipoprotein and F2α‐isoprostanes [F2‐Isop]), inflammation markers (myeloperoxidase and C‐reactive protein [CRP]) and skeletal muscle damage markers (lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase [CK]). Results Our results showed that F2‐Isop, CRP and CK levels significantly increased at T1 only in the PLA group (p