Curcumin as a multi-target nutritional intervention alleviates exercise-induced injuries from overtraining: intervention efficacy and mechanism of action

Abstract

Curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenol, exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic regulatory actions in exercise physiology and may help ameliorate overtraining-induced multi-organ dysfunction and delayed recovery states associated with overtraining syndrome (OTS). This review systematically summarizes the effects of CUR—across different doses, timing/duration regimens, and delivery systems—on exercise performance, functional recovery, and indices of muscle injury and multi-organ pathology in individuals with varying training status. Given that CUR is challenged by insufficient exposure due to low solubility, extensive first-pass metabolism, and rapid clearance, we introduce an “outcome-window–timing/duration–systemic exposure–outcome interpretation” framework to align systemic exposure with the temporal windows of recovery endpoints related to exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) (muscle function and muscle-damage–related indices). This framework is intended to improve the practical interpretability of dosing, supplementation timing, and delivery-system selection, while highlighting the decisive role of formulation type in exposure variability and cross-study comparability, as well as the moderating influence of training status on observable responses. Finally, future research directions were proposed, including optimized formulation and personalized supplementation strategies. Collectively, these insights support the development of multi-target, natural product–based interventions in sports medicine and encourage integrating phytochemicals into precision nutrition to promote recovery and optimize performance.