3 Feel-Better Postworkout Foods
What's the best snack to grab after a major workout? How about a bowl of whole-grain cereal, a bite of Indian takeout, or a big nonfat latte.
Each nosh option has a special ingredient that may help your body recover better and nip postworkout pain in the bud.
The 3 Cs
What, exactly, do these snacks have that others might not? The three Cs: carbs, curcumin, and caffeine. A carb-rich snack like cereal can help you overcome fatigue by restoring glycogen -- that stuff your muscles use for energy. Curcumin, a substance found in the Indian spice turmeric, may help quell muscle inflammation. And caffeine from coffee may help block muscle-pain-producing substances. (Coffee has other health benefits, too. Read about them here.)
More Pain-Free-Exercise Tips
- Warm up first. (Here's the step-by-step way to do it.)
- Stretch, stretch, and stretch some more. (Check out the stretches recommended by Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen.)
- Take an aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug 2 hours before heavy physical activity (if your doctor says it's okay). (Find out which pain relievers are best for postworkout pain.)
RealAge Benefit:
A physical activity program that builds stamina, strength, and flexibility can make your RealAge as much as 8.1 years younger.
Nutrition for distance events. Burke, L. M., Millet, G., Tarnopolsky, M. A., Journal of Sports Sciences 2007 Dec;25 Suppl 1:29-38.
Curcumin effects on inflammation and performance recovery following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Davis, J. M., Murphy, E. A., Carmichael, M. D., Zielinski, M. R., Groschwitz, C. M., Brown, A. S., Gangemi, J. D., Ghaffar, A., Mayer, E. P., American Journal of Physiology 2007 Jun;292(6):R2168-R2173.
Caffeine attenuates delayed-onset muscle pain and force loss following eccentric exercise. Maridakis, V., O'Connor, P. J., Dudley, G. A., McCully, K. K., Journal of Pain 2007 Mar;8(3):237-243.
