Impact of a Novel Marine Algae Supplement on the Inflammatory and Immune Response After High Intensity Exercise

Inflammation is an innate immune response to tissue damage as a means of increasing blood flow to a specific area to facilitate repair, and is associated with the movement of fluid, plasma proteins, and immune cells from the circulation to the site of injury. The inflammatory process is initiated by cytokines which attract specific immune cells, such as monocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils, to the damaged tissue. Chronic exercise has been found to reduce inflammation and bolster immune system function; however, acute exercise has been shown to increase inflammatory response. Cytokine secretion and concentrations as well as leukocyte activation following exercise appear to increase in proportion to exercise intensity. Therefore, on an acute basis, high intensity exercise may cause immunosuppression and increased inflammation. High degrees of muscle damage and inflammation post-exercise result in decrements in muscle strength and range of motion, increased delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and swelling, as well as the efflux of myocellular proteins and enzymes, including creatine kinase (CK). Therefore, post-exercise nutritional supplementation for individuals participating in high intensity exercise may be beneficial to modulate exercise-associated immune function and reduce inflammation.

Fucoidans are fucose-rich sulfated carbohydrates found in brown marine algae and have been shown to play a role in immune modulation as well as inflammation. In fact, fucoidans have been shown to inhibit neutrophil infiltration and attenuate levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. More research is warranted to determine the effects of supplementation with fucoidans to reduce inflammation following high intensity exercise. Therefore, this double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over design study will be conducted to further understand these effects.