Unaccustomed eccentric exercise has been well documented to elicit muscle damage and an inflammatory response to help fix and restore the impaired muscle fibers. Supplements, including anti-inflammatories and antioxidants have been used to help alleviate the damage and decrease the inflammation but positive results are slim. It is proposed that EpiCor, a yeast metabolite with suggested anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics, would decrease the amount of muscle soreness and inflammation that results from unaccustomed eccentric exercise.

Thirty-two male subjects (ages 18-35) ingested a once daily 500mg dose of either EpiCor or placebo 4 weeks prior to the eccentric exercise bout. This matched pairs, double blind study randomly assigned subjects to either group and were matched based on a peak, pre-exercise maximal isometric contraction. Subjects then performed 50 maximal eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors at 30 degrees per second on each arm. Blood samples were taken at pre-, 24, 48, and 72 hours post-exercise, in addition to psychological and illness surveys.

Muscle damage, soreness and circumference all had a significant effect of time throughout the 72 hour recovery period (P<0.001). Elevated levels of CK and LDH were also present with a significant effect of time (P<0.05); however, there were no significant differences between treatments for muscle damage indicators. Results for inflammatory markers were similar in that no statistically significant difference between groups existed for IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-10, and CRP, but some non-significant trends (P<.11) did exist.

These results do not support the hypothesized effects for EpiCor in reducing the muscle damage, soreness, and inflammation after an unaccustomed eccentric exercise bout of the elbow flexors. This supplement needs further research into the effectiveness of its use in an exercise setting.