Aches, pains, and soreness are part and parcel to training and exercise. Much of this is caused by bad technique, extending ourselves beyond what we can handle, as well as insufficient rest and recovery. Diet can be a tremendous factor in soreness as well as how long you deal with many of pains of training. Certain foods such as processed foods, high protein diets, high amounts of omega 6’s (soybean, cottonseed and corn oils), and sugary foods promote inflammation which in turn promotes pain in the body, while other foods are anti-inflammatory and can ease much of the discomfort often experienced during and after exercise. Some of the best foods to combat inflammation in the body include grapes, berries, pineapple, cherries, kiwi, celery, garlic, salmon, curry, turmeric (contains the popular healer curcumin), and ginger. Also high amounts of foods rich in vitamin C and E such as nuts, seeds, peppers, and broccoli are beneficial.
A few of these foods have been studied and shown to reduce muscle pain, swelling, and damage. Cherry juice has been studied by the British Journal of Sports Medicine to reduce muscle pain and damage, and ginger has been shown to reduce muscle soreness when taken after a workout by the University of GA. A note on the ginger, please do not think this means to down handfuls of the candied ginger, because that is not ok, this means fresh ginger added to smoothies, teas, or dressings.
Researching this topic I came across a few home remedies which I thought were interesting; one was to make a mixture of 1C ACV (apple cider vinegar) 1C honey and 8 cloves in the blender and then mix 2T of that mixture into 8oz of water or fresh juice. This was shown by the University of Edinburgh to reduce pain in those suffering from arthritis by 90%. Have not tried this one, but since I like all things honey, I will be shortly. Another interesting remedy I came across was to take a shower with intervals of 30 seconds of cold followed by 2 min of warm to open and close the capillaries in an effort to flush lactic acid from the body. Not sure about this one, especially since its starting to cool down out here in CO, but it does seem easy enough to give a shot, just may have to wait till April for me.
Last thing on soreness and injury I want to mention, is proper refueling after exercise. It is important to refuel the glycogen stores (the body’s fuel) immediately after exercise. This is best done with fruit or other simple carbs within a 30-60 minute window after training. If this is not done it can take up to 48 hours to replenish glycogen which could lead to reduced performance and injury in subsequent days. One of my go to post work out drinks is a smoothie with banana and celery for the great sources of potassium and sodium in those foods, since it is important to get electrolytes back in the system for recovery.
Have a great week
Tip of the week- Fall is great time of year everywhere...
