Fitness fiends are no strangers to ibuprofen. We take it before a workout to prevent inflammation and after a workout to reduce it.
Unfortunately, new studies are concluding that popping the staple drug may overtax the kidneys during extremely long workouts (think: ultra-marathons) and may reduce the muscle’s ability to recover afterwards.
Taken infrequently, you will likely not be subject to these symptoms but ibuprofen taken regularly before a workout inhibits prostaglandin production and may prevent recovery from stress incurred during exercise. Taken after a workout, Ibuprofen has not been proven to aid in recovery and may actually delay healing by reducing collagen synthesis.
The bottom line? Taking Ibuprofen before and after your workouts will not help you and may actually hamper your recovery process.
If you’re still looking to minimize inflammation, we suggest turning to natural food alternatives that can interact better with the body:
1.Cherries + Pomegranates
Tart cherries can reduce your inflammation ten times better than aspirin and have been found to have the highest antioxidant content compared to any food!
Pomegranates are also high in antioxidants and are great free radical fighters.
We suggest:
A Pomegranate-Cherry smoothie with protein from the Retro Blends smoothie bar coupled with our Muscle Recovery stack.
2. Berries
Again, packed with antioxidants, berries of all kinds are great for fighting inflammation and are responsible for the blue and red colors berries are known for.
We suggest: Our signature Triple Berry smoothie with protein coupled with our Jump Start! stack.
3. Spinach
Veggies have a lot of inflammation fighting powers as well. Packed with vitamins C, E and K, spinach has the ability to protect the body from inflammatory cytokines.
We suggest: Our Pina Colada smoothie with protein plus a veggie boost. (Our veggie boost contains 9 veggies: spinach, watercress, kale, beets, lettuce, parsley, celery and sweet potato.)
Resources:
Bring On The Exercise, Hold The Painkillers – New York Times
Researchers say “Tart Cherries Have The Highest Anti-Inflammation Content Of Any Food”