PEA may aid in muscle recovery, says recent study

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A study recently published in Nutrients¹ found that supplementation with the cannabimimetic compound and lipid messenger, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), may aid in muscle recovery. In the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 28 healthy patients received either a liquid PEA (Levagen+ from Gencor based in Irvine, CA) or placebo for three days and were asked to perform leg press exercises consisting of four sets at 80% of one repetition maximum followed by a performance set. Muscle soreness, thigh circumference, blood lactate concentration, biomarkers of muscle damage and inflammation, and transcription factor pathways were measured prior to exercise, immediately after exercise, and again at 1, 2, 3, 24, 48, and 72 h post-exercise.

Results showed leg press exercises increased blood lactate concentration and induced muscle damage based on increased muscle soreness, thigh circumference, biomarkers of muscle damage, and concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in both groups. However, PEA supplementation resulted in reduced myoglobin concentrations at 1, 2, and 3 hours post-exercise and reduced blood lactate concentrations at 1 and 3 hours post exercise, as well as increased protein kinase B phosphorylation immediately following exercise, compared to placebo.

“This clinical shows us that Levagen+ may allow individuals to exercise at a higher intensity for longer,” said Maggie McNamara, marketing manager at Gencor, in a press release. “Levagen+ is for the consumer looking to take their workouts to the next level, and due to Levagen+’s versatility, it can be applied in tablets, capsules, and functional foods and beverages, including RTD, sachets, smoothies, chocolate and more.”

References:

1. Mallard A et al. “The Effect of Orally Dosed Levagen+ (palmitoylethanolamide) on Exercise Recovery in Healthy Males-A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.” Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 3 (2020): 596