Aloe Vera Ointment Application and Skeletal Muscle Recovery
Condition: Skeletal Muscle Damage; Exercise-induced Aseptic Inflammation; Performance
MeSH terms: Inflammation
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Aloe vera, sometimes described as pharmaceutical aloe, is a flowering succulent plant with
      many therapeutic properties such as wound and burn wound healing, treatment of diabetes and
      reduction of blood lipid profile. These benefits have been primary attributed to its high
      content in polysaccharides, anthraquinones and lectins. However, aloe vera includes more than
      200 ingredients and nutrients (i.e. vitamins, saponins, amino acids, anthraquinones, minerals
      and trace-elements, salicylic acid, saccharides, lignin, enzymes, sterols) the combination of
      which offers more powerful effects and health-related benefits compared to each one of them
      separately. Thus, based on the ingredients and nutrients included, it has been proposed that
      aloe vera may also offer anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, analgesic and anabolic benefits.

      Exercise training, especially when it is unaccustomed or characterized by increased
      intensity, results in skeletal muscle microtrauma accompanied by elevated plasma levels of
      Creatine Kinase (CK), increased sensation of muscle soreness (DOMS), reduced force generating
      capacity and marked declines in speed and agility. Both anti-inflammatory and antioxidative
      mechanisms in skeletal muscle are crucial for the termination of inflammatory response and
      muscle healing process following exercise-induced aseptic muscle injury and inflammation.

      Although, it has been proposed that ale vera may elicit anti-inflammatory and antioxidative
      activity, its effectiveness in alleviating exercise-induced skeletal muscle injury and its
      symptoms, has not been investigated yet. Therefore, the aim of the present pilot study is to
      examine the effect of transdermal aloe veral delivery on skeletal muscle damage symptoms
      following an intense eccentric exercise protocol.
    

Detailed description: 
      For the purpose of study, ten male participants will be included in a pilot clinical trial.

      Initially, participants will undergo a baseline testing including assessment of body height,
      body mass and body composition, isokinetic evaluation of isometric, concentric and eccentric
      muscle strength of quadriceps, determination of VO2max, evaluation of DOMS level and resting
      blood sampling for the measurement of CK. Participants will be also provided with 7-day diet
      recalls and will be taught by a trained dietitian on how to adjust food/liquid portions and
      sizes and how to complete diet recalls (1 recall/day over a 7-day period).

      After baseline testing, subjects will participate in two trials, in a randomized,
      double-blind repeated measures design. In the first trial they will execute a bilateral
      eccentric exercise protocol. Immediately after the exercise protocol and daily for 7
      consecutive days, will be applied transdermal treatment with placebo (Control) in one leg and
      with natural aloe vera (Experimental, aloe vera peel and leaf) in the other. Following a
      7-day wash-out period the second trial will be conducted. Participants will execute the same
      eccentric exercise protocol, but they will be treated with either placebo (Control) or aloe
      vera soup (Experimental). The selection of the treatment for each leg will be randomly
      selected. In both trials, assessment of DOMS and strength (isometric, concentric and
      eccentric) in both legs and blood sampling (for the measurement of CK) will be performed at
      1h and 6h post-exercise as well as daily for 7 consecutive days.
    

Intervention name(s): Placebo; Natural Aloe Vera; Aloe vera soup
Intervention type(s): Biological; Biological; Biological
Intervention description(s): A placebo solution that will not include aloe vera will be applied on the quadriceps of one of the lower limbs.; Natural aloe vera solution including peel and leaf from aloe will be applied on the the quadriceps of one of the lower limbs.; Aloe vera solution including aloe vera soup will be applied on the the quadriceps of one of the lower limbs.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: aseptic inflammation; muscle trauma; muscle strength; aloe vera