New CurraNZ recovery study on elite taekwondo athletes shows evidence for combat sports

CurraNZ has added a piece to the recovery puzzle, with a study in elite taekwondo athletes reporting improvements in blood markers of muscle damage, oxidative stress and inflammation during an intensive training period.

Published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science, the research extends blackcurrant extract recovery science into a demanding combat sport, where explosive movements, repeated kicks and impact place demands on the body.

What did the researchers find?

Twenty-nine elite male taekwondo athletes completed the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. For seven days, participants took either CurraNZ Original 35% blackcurrant extract or an identical placebo. The daily dose was 600mg extract, providing approximately 210mg anthocyanins: equivalent to two standard CurraNZ capsules, split between morning and evening.

Compared with placebo, the CurraNZ group showed a smaller rise in creatine kinase, a blood marker associated with muscle damage.

Researchers also reported lower reactive oxygen species, higher total antioxidant capacity and more favourable inflammatory responses, including changes in IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-10.

These results suggest the extract helped moderate the physiological stress accompanying repeated high-intensity training.

How this builds on previous recovery research

The University of Surrey’s 2021 trial examined 27 men and women who were not resistance trained. Following strenuous arm exercise, participants taking CurraNZ experienced faster recovery of muscle strength, lower soreness at 24 and 48 hours, and lower creatine kinase at 96 hours than those taking placebo.

Average soreness scores were approximately halved at both 24 and 48 hours.

Surrey therefore supplied evidence of functional recovery: how muscles performed and how participants felt. The taekwondo trial adds evidence from highly trained athletes, showing favourable biochemical responses despite their conditioning.

Connecting with New Zealand Plant & Food Research

A 2020 Plant & Food Research pilot study followed healthy adults consuming an 35% New Zealand blackcurrant extract daily for five weeks.

Using rowing exercise, researchers found support for recovery from oxidative stress and improved resolution of acute inflammation. Longer-term consumption also increased IL-10, a cytokine involved in regulating inflammation.

The taekwondo findings fit this broader pattern: blackcurrant anthocyanins may help the body manage exercise-related stress through antioxidant and inflammatory pathways. All three studies used 35% New Zealand blackcurrant anthocyanin extract, strengthening the connection between their findings, although their doses, participants and exercise protocols differed.

What does this mean for athletes?

The practical opportunity is support during demanding training blocks, when recovering between sessions matters.

The study has relevance to athletes in combat sports, team sports and endurance disciplines.

This small, male-only taekwondo study measured blood markers rather than strength restoration or competitive performance, and soreness benefits were inconsistent. It therefore strengthens the biological case for recovery support without proving better match results.

Together, the studies build a more rounded picture: functional recovery findings from Surrey, inflammatory and oxidative-stress insights from New Zealand, and now evidence in elite combat athletes.

For athletes considering CurraNZ, the research supports a consistent recovery strategy alongside adequate food, sleep and sensible training loads.

References

1. Kaçar M, Karimkhani H, Arslan S (2026). Effects of New Zealand blackcurrant extract supplementation on muscle damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers following high-intensity training in elite taekwondo athletes. Irish Journal of Medical Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-026-04353-8
2. Hunt JEA et al. (2021). Consumption of New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract Improves Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Non-Resistance Trained Men and Women. Nutrients, 13, 2875. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082875
3. Hurst RD et al. (2020). Daily Consumption of an Anthocyanin-Rich Extract Made From New Zealand Blackcurrants for 5 Weeks Supports Exercise Recovery Through the Management of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation. Frontiers in Nutrition, 7, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.00016