Can changing your diet help with post-workout soreness?
If you’re feeling sore after working out or after a week of training, you might be experiencing exercise induced inflammation. Dietitian Lisa Money explained how adjusting your diet can help reduce inflammation, so you feel great before and after your workout.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to stress or injury. It happens on the inside of our bodies in reaction to strength training and intense physical activity. But if inflammation is left unmanaged, it can lead to low motivation, soreness and sports-related injuries.
There are two types of inflammation – acute and chronic. Chronic inflammation occurs when you’re not getting enough rest and recovery nutrition between workouts, and that can lead to overtraining syndrome.
“If you’re not fueling your body properly to help your system recover, your performance goals will suffer, immunity is compromised and this can make you more likely to suffer an injury,” Money said.
Inflammation also plays a major role on muscle growth and adaptation, which is when the muscle gets stronger and improves its function. If you eat properly during training sessions, you can reduce inflammation while increasing muscle growth and performance.
How can you reduce exercise induced inflammation?
Money offered six ways to reduce inflammation after your workouts so you can continue exercising comfortably.
- Hydrate. Consume 4–8 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes throughout your workout to maintain hydration. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of fluid over the course of the day, which produces adequate saliva that has anti-microbial properties.
- Eat enough protein and carbohydrates to support your activity. After a training session, you want to take in about 20 to 30 grams of quality protein as well as adequate carbohydrates. A good example would be to have a turkey sandwich and glass of low-fat milk following a training session. The protein helps your body repair tissue and maintain muscle mass and the carbohydrates in the bread and milk are used to replenish fuel stored in muscles so protein can be used to heal muscle.
- Omega-three fatty acids. You want to consume about one to three grams of omega-three fatty acids per day, which you can get from salmon, tuna, mackerel, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. They block the pathways of inflammation and they also preserve muscle mass and reduce fatigue.
- Get enough purple fruits and veggies. Eat at least 3–5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Mixing things up with deep purple colors will give you anthocyanins and minerals as well as antioxidants. Look for 100% tart cherry juice on the juice aisle and buy purple and red produce such as plums, prunes, berries and red grapes.
- Get enough vitamin D. It’s best for athletes to consume about 2000 to 5000 international units of vitamin D per day. A great and easy way to do this is to get outside and enjoy some sunshine on your face and hands, particularly between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If you can’t get outside, you want to stock up on food sources such as salmon, particularly sockeye salmon, as well as egg yolks and fortified dairy products.
- Spice it up. Season your foods with spices such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon and rosemary, which are natural anti-inflammatories. A good way to do this is to make some curried chicken salad or maybe have an Indian food night.
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