10 best muscle recovery foods and drinks

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If you are exercising or doing intense physical activities such as cycling or hitting the gym, you may experience muscle pain from time to time. Muscle soreness is not only uncomfortable, but it can also interfere with your workouts and daily activities. However, there are now many methods to help reduce muscle soreness, minimize muscle damage from exercise, and speed up muscle recovery. Here are 10 of the best foods and drinks for muscle recovery you can refer to.

1. Cherry juice

Drinking cherry juice is beneficial for both professional bodybuilders and those new to sports. Studies show that cherry juice has muscle recovery effects and reduces delayed onset muscle pain (DOMS).
DOMS is also known as 'muscle fever', is the feeling of pain, soreness in the muscles after an unfamiliar intense exercise. DOMS is thought to be caused by temporary muscle damage and inflammation that is most commonly caused by complex and strenuous exercise. In addition to DOMS, exercise increases oxidative stress, cell damage, and inflammation. However, antioxidant-rich foods and drinks can reduce these side effects and facilitate fastest muscle recovery.
Cherry juice contains many plant compounds called anthocyanins. They have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and as such, they can reduce the sensation of pain and exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD).
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cherries can help reduce the odds that exercise causes muscle damage and cure muscle soreness. Therefore, drinking cherry training juice conditions rapid muscle recovery after exercise by improving strength, reducing inflammation, and reducing lipid oxidation levels.

2. Watermelon and watermelon juice

Watermelon has a sweet taste, contains a lot of water and nutrients. Therefore, supplementing with watermelon will help keep the body hydrated and maintain electrolyte levels. Eating watermelon regularly can reduce symptoms of dehydration after vigorous exercise, exercise such as cramps, fatigue, dizziness...
Watermelon contains a lot of antioxidants, has the ability to prevent Prevents the effects of free radicals, slows down the degenerative process and protects organs in the body. Some of the antioxidants found in watermelon such as vitamin C, licopene, carotenoids, cucurbitacin E,...
Vitamin C and lycopene found in watermelon can reduce the risk of inflammation and control symptoms. pain in joints. Besides, they also slow down the aging process, inhibit cartilage degeneration in people with chronic arthritis. Not only that, the citrulline in watermelon is an amino acid that has the ability to reduce muscle pain and has the effect of producing nitric oxide - a component that helps dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow to the extremities. Regular citrulline supplementation can increase muscle endurance and performance. Moreover, this ingredient also helps to reduce muscle soreness after exercise and hard labor.
Therefore, watermelon remains a guaranteed choice for exercise enthusiasts, with significant effects on muscle soreness.

3. “Fat Fish”

“Fatty fish” like sardines, cod, tuna or salmon is a healthy food, rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for our health. In addition, these substances also work to reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease.
Fish is a great source of protein with high biological value, a multi-energy nutrient that facilitates muscle regeneration following exercise-induced damage. Fatty fish is also high in omega-3 fats, which may help reduce DOMS, fight inflammation, and boost muscle growth.

4. Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice is always loved by its brilliant red color, delicious taste and unexpected health effects. Pomegranate juice contains more than 100 phytochemicals – compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help prevent cancer, support immunity and increase muscle recovery.
Many studies show that pomegranate juice and pomegranate supplements can reduce DOMS, reduce markers of inflammation and accelerate muscle recovery due to its high concentration of antioxidants. It can help reduce inflammation throughout the body and prevent oxidative stress and damage.

5. Beetroot juice

Beets are a familiar food in many families' meals with many health benefits. Beets are rich in nitrates and betalains. The nitrates in beets can help deliver oxygen to the cells of the muscles and improve the efficiency of cellular activities, production, and cellular energy supply. Meanwhile, betalain can reduce inflammation and damage caused by oxidation.

6. Whey Protein

Some studies show that whey protein can promote muscle recovery after exercise in both athletes and amateurs. Whey protein can also improve muscle function after exercise and increase resistance.
Whey protein is absorbed much faster than natural intake, helping to accelerate muscle recovery. No processing, just mix 1 scoop of whey protein with water and drink, when it enters the stomach, it digests very quickly, produces more than 20 types of amino acids and goes into building new muscle fibers, helping to restore effective recovery and muscle gain.

7. Eggs

Eggs are known as a nutrient-dense food and are preferred by athletes because of their high protein content. Eating eggs after a workout helps stimulate rapid muscle recovery. Researchers suggest that egg yolks are rich in nutrients that provide vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids, such as vitamin A, selenium, zinc, and fatty acids palmitate, which may increase muscle protein synthesis.

8. Milk

Milk and dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese are often used as fuel after exercise. Because milk provides a lot of protein that helps in effective muscle recovery. Not only that, milk and dairy products also contain carbs. Loading carbs and protein together will aid in muscle growth. In addition, milk is a food with high nutritional value, containing all the groups of substances necessary for the body such as proteins, lipids, sugars, vitamins and minerals. However, it is necessary to avoid drinking milk when hungry, should not drink milk before the production process, should not drink too thick milk or limit mixing too much sugar into milk.

9. Starchy vegetables

Vegetables are not only a source of fiber as well as essential vitamins for the body, but also a food source of beneficial starch for the body. During intense exercise, you deplete your glycogen stores, a storage form of glucose in your muscles. Having enough glycogen in the muscles promotes optimal training performance. So it's important to replenish these glycogen stores after a workout.
Eating carb-rich foods will promote the replenishment of muscle glycogen. Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and potatoes are a healthy post-workout carbohydrate option. Combining starchy vegetables with a protein source like eggs or chicken breast is an effective and delicious way to replenish glycogen stores while providing the body with the protein it needs to promote rapid muscle recovery. fast.

10. Coffee

Many studies show that drinking coffee before or after exercise can help reduce DOMS because the caffeine present in coffee can block receptors for adenosine. Adenosine is a chemical released after injury. They damage muscles during exercise. In particular, men reduced DOMS more after consuming caffeine than women.
Tips for reducing muscle pain In addition to food and drink, other factors can promote muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can decrease your performance and impair your ability to recover. Compression therapy. Compression devices such as gloves, compression stockings, etc. can help enhance muscle recovery after exercise and may improve function and strength of treated muscles. Heat therapy. Cold water therapy can help heal muscle tissue, reduce inflammation, and reduce DOMS. Massage therapy. Many studies show that massage therapy can improve muscle performance and reduce DOMS. Try applying the above methods to find out for yourself which methods are suitable and bring the best recovery effect.

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Reference source: healthline.com