Build Bigger, Stronger Muscles With This "Odd" Diet Tip
Most people don't think of antioxidants as all that important when it comes to building muscle.
And it's true that large doses of antioxidant supplements, in some circumstances anyway, appear to have little benefit when it comes to improving recovery from exercise. In some cases, they may actually make things worse [3].
However, there are some studies to show that antioxidant-rich foods can help you recover faster after a tough workout.
In particular, a small study from the US shows that drinking cherry juice can reduce the muscle damage caused by a heavy bout of lifting weights.
The study, carried out at the University of Vermont, shows that not only do cherries help to control inflammation, but can also blunt delayed-onset muscle soreness and speed up recovery after an intense workout [1].
Damage limitation
The researchers had 14 men drink 350 milliliters of either freshly prepared tart cherry juice from Cherrypharm or a placebo twice daily for eight days.
On the fourth day, subjects performed two sets of 20 negative-repetition arm curls to induce muscle damage. Strength, pain and muscle tenderness were measured every 24 hours for 96 hours.
The researchers found that the drop in strength in the cherry group was significantly lower than the placebo group. The strength loss after four days, tested on an arm curl bench, was only four percent for the cherry juice group, but was 22 percent for the placebo group.
Muscle pain, quantified by the volunteers themselves on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 for no pain, 10 for excruciating pain), was also significantly lower for the cherry group (2.4) compared to the placebo group (3.2).
"These results have important practical applications for athletes, as performance after damaging exercise bouts is primarily affected by strength loss and pain," writes lead author Declan Connolly from the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Vermont.
One previous study shows that the daily consumption of 45 cherries could reduce circulating concentrations of inflammatory markers, and the Vermont researchers propose a similar mechanism [2].
Inflammation
After a tough workout, inflammation can work against muscle recovery. When muscle fibers are damaged — as happens following a bout of intense exercise — they become inflamed. Although this is perfectly normal, it can delay muscle recovery and growth.
"The initial damage response of eccentric contractions is a mechanical disruption of myofibrils and injury to the cell membrane. When myofibrillar disruption is extensive, this triggers a local inflammatory response that leads to an exacerbation of damage," say the researchers.
They think that the phytochemicals in cherries (such as flavonoids and anthocyanins) exert an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce the damage response to exercise. The 12-ounce bottles of cherry juice used in this experiment is reported to contain the equivalent of 50 to 60 cherries, giving a daily dose of between 100 and 120 cherries.
Although this study looked at the effect of cherries on muscle damage, I'm guessing that most fruits with a high ORAC value (such as blackberries, strawberries or blueberries) will have a similar effect.
Because the study was sponsored by Cherrypharm, the company who make the cherry juice (marketed at athletes for "less muscle damage, less pain and faster recovery") it's no surprise that this wasn't mentioned!
Personally, I like to mix some frozen berries with a scoop or two of whey protein (or a meal replacement supplement) and take it after I finish training. It's a quick and easy way to get my phytochemical "fix," as well as helping to lower the acid load of my diet, which itself may help to speed up muscle growth.
About The Author
 Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.
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References
1. Connolly, D.A., McHugh, M.P., Padilla-Zakour, OI., Carlson, L., & Sayers, S.P. (2006). Efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing the symptoms of muscle damage. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 40, 679-683
2. Kelley, D.S., Rasooly, R., Jacob, R.A., Kader, A.A., & Mackey, B.E. (2006). Consumption of Bing sweet cherries lowers circulating concentrations of inflammation markers in healthy men and women.Journal of Nutrition, 136, 981-986
3. Close, G.L., Ashton, T., Cable, T., Doran, D., Holloway, C., McArdle, F., & MacLaren, D.P. (2006). Ascorbic acid supplementation does not attenuate post-exercise muscle soreness following muscle-damaging exercise but may delay the recovery process. British Journal of Nutrition, 95, 976-981
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