Long-Run Recovery Plan

Juice

What: Fresh tart-cherry juice
When: 2 cups or 500ml a day — half in the morning and half in the afternoon — for 5 days before, the day of, and 2 days after the race.
Result: Faster muscle recovery than in placebo drinkers.
Why: Antioxidants. They degrade in sunlight, so keep your juice in a cool, dark place, says study author Malachy McHugh PhD.

 

Beer

What: Non-alcoholic beer
When: 2-3 pints a day for 3 weeks before and 2 weeks after the race.
Result: Less inflammation than with placebo.
Why: Polyphenols. Plus, beer’s minerals and carbs make it an ideal thirst quencher, says study author Johannes Scherr MD.

 

Pills

What: Extended-release acetaminophen
When: 1,300 milligrammes an hour after the race and again 8 hours after, then 3 times a day for the next 3 days.
Result: Less muscle soreness than in a placebo group the day of the race
Why: Soreness usually peaks 8 hours after exercise, so extended release is your best bet, reports the Clinical Journal of Pain.

 

 

 

Image from Stockexchange

 

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