A Comparison of the Effect of Purslane Extract and Ibuprofen on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness after an Intensive Resistance Session in Male Athletes

One of the consequences of the training is muscle soreness. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of purslane extract and Ibuprofen on changes in creatine kinase enzyme and delayed onset muscle soreness after one session of intensive resistance training in male athletes. 30 healthy and active men (age 23.86±2.5 yr, height 177.8±30.9 cm, weight 73.8 ±0.39 kg) volunteered to take part in this study. They were randomly divided into three groups (n=10): purslane, placebo and Ibuprofen by double – blinded design. The purslane group received purslane extract orally as much as 1200 mg 3 times a day while placebo and Ibuprofen groups respectively received the same amount of lactose and Ibuprofen 24 hours before the training to 72 hours after the training. DOMS was created using a modified training program. CK levels and soreness were measured four times: 24 hours before, 24, 48 and 72 hours after the training respectively by ELISA reading device and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The data were analyzed by ANOVA with repeated measures and SPSS19. Serum CK concentration in the purslane group significantly decreased 48 and 72 hours after the training but it significantly increased in Ibuprofen group 72 hours after the training (P≤0.05). The purslane group significantly had less pain 72 hours after the training, but Ibuprofen group had the highest pain (P≤0.05). A significant difference was observed among the three groups in the concentration of serum CK 24 hours after the training and the perceived pain 48 and 72 hours after the training (P≤0.05). These findings showed that compared with Ibuprofen, purslane plant extract considerably influenced prevention and relief of delayed onset muscle soreness in male athletes.