Anti-inflammatory foods for speeding up recovery after training March 3, 2026 – Posted in: Best Meal Planning App in USA for 2026

Another study which supports the theory of increased antioxidant capacity examined the impact of cherry juice supplementation compared with an energy-matched placebo on knee extension maximum voluntary contractions (Bowtell et al. 2010). Cherry juice supplementation substantially improved post-exercise recovery of isometric strength https://www.topendsports.com/fitness/products/apps/mad-muscles.htm compared with placebo. Although this study is not specific to endurance athletes, the outcomes support the concept that improved antioxidant availability can delay time to fatigue and promote muscle recovery that potentially improves performance (Bowtell et al. 2010). Blueberry consumption prior to prolonged exercise (2.5 h of running) resulted in higher post-exercise NK cell counts and an increased concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokines compared with a control group (McAnulty et al. 2011). Ultra-endurance events are one area of endurance exercise and sport that warrants specific consideration for dietary antioxidant supplementation. These events attract substantial numbers of non-elite recreational competitors as well as elite endurance athletes.

They are a delicious topper to oats, yogurt, cereal, salads, or are wonderful blended into smoothies. Including fermented foods in your sports diet may also play a role in decreasing inflammation. Fermented foods are a source of helpful ‘bugs’ and refresh the community of probiotics in your digestive tract. Not only are whole grains and legumes excellent sources of complex carbohydrates essential to fueling your body for all your athletic endeavors, they also help to provide steady energy and balanced blood sugars to keep inflammation in check.

What to Eat Before a Long Run

• This one can feel tricky because our sports performance diets rely on carbohydrates to fuel our most challenging sessions.
• The anti-inflammatory diet has no major downsides, though there may be a learning curve to master which inflammation-fighting foods to eat and which foods to avoid.
• We provide virtual sports nutrition coaching, education, and presentations virtually in Texas, Florida, California, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Arizona, and Michigan.
• Whether you are cooking with olive oil or using it as a salad dressing, it has an important anti-inflammatory role.
• Choosing mostly whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean protein, and healthy fats, is a good practice to reduce inflammation.
• Although moderate amounts of exercise are typically protective, high volumes of training can increase the risk of respiratory symptoms compared with inactive or moderately active individuals (Nieman 1994).

It offers personalized eating plans for a number of diets, one being the anti-inflammatory diet. Once you download, create a profile, and select the anti-inflammatory diet as the program for you, the app will give you a broad overview of what to eat, eat less of, and avoid, and then will map out recipes for your daily meals. By eating more real foods and fewer that are highly processed, you’ll automatically be filling up on those that can fight inflammation. How many of you are eating cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or kale every day? Cruciferous vegetables are potent antioxidants, but also provide digestive benefits from their fiber, and a plethora of other vitamins and minerals, as well.

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It, therefore, seems logical that improving antioxidant supply during this period of increased oxidative stress would benefit health and possibly exercise performance. Studies have been conducted using the ‘live high, train low’ method of altitude exposure. Endurance training with intermittent resting hypoxia resulted in a decrease in resting plasma antioxidant levels, with little change in the control group without the hypoxic exposure (Pialoux et al. 2009b).

Some additional resources on reducing inflammation & increasing recovery!

There is a substantial body of evidence that high intensity or prolonged duration endurance-training loads stimulate increased free radical production and oxidative stress (Watson et al. 2005). Endurance training yields an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Powers and Jackson 2008) and reactive nitrogen species (Reid 2001; Powers and Jackson 2008). Superoxide and nitric oxide are the ROS most commonly produced in cells (Powers and Jackson 2008).

Blood Tests for Athletes to Boost Health and Performance

This health charity site has a helpful list of anti-inflammatory foods to try in place of some of your usual go-tos. The page lists swaps for every meal, plus has extra tips to make it easier to stick with this way of eating. By incorporating colorful foods, which tend to be fruits and veggies, you’ll be adding foods that will fight inflammation. An anti-inflammatory diet means increasing foods that research has shown can help lower inflammation while also reducing your intake of foods that have the opposite effect.

7. ANTIOXIDANT STUDIES IN ATHLETES

Higher antioxidant intakes may help maintain a normal pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance. Endurance athletes who undertake very high levels of training, either living and/or training at moderate to high altitudes, or who participate in ultra-endurance competitions, may benefit from antioxidant supplementation. Quercetin is one of the few antioxidant supplements that has been examined in a number of studies and demonstrated a consistent performance benefit; however, the studies have been conducted mostly using untrained subjects. In a study of running performance in a 12-min treadmill test, a substantial improvement was observed in untrained subjects (Nieman et al. 2010). In another study, maximal oxygen uptake and cycle time to fatigue were increased following 7 days of quercetin supplementation compared to placebo (Davis et al. 2010), again in untrained subjects. Everyone can benefit from eating the foods thought to be anti-inflammatory, said Shapiro.

Polyphenols, which are found in non-starchy vegetables, also help tamp down the inflammatory response. Antioxidants found in fresh herbs, spices and some teas have also been found to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is a bit of a buzzword in health these days but in reality, it’s simply the effects of stress on your body.

2. ENDURANCE TRAINING AND OXIDATIVE STRESS

“An anti-inflammatory diet is an eating plan that works to reduce or minimize low-grade inflammation within our bodies,” she says. The classic signs of inflammation — swelling, pain, redness and loss of function — are common acute symptoms, but more chronic symptoms are a concern. Adjusting your diet can help you decrease inflammation and allow you to continue exercising.

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Our richest sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids come from fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and canned sardines. Other good sources include extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds, like hemp hearts, chia seeds, and flax seeds. Anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids, found in things like fish, nuts, and seeds, can also help to reduce inflammation. Acute inflammation is temporary, and it can be a normal part of training, adapting, and getting stronger. It’s hard to define the quickest way to get rid of inflammation, but your doctor may recommend certain supplements or medications. You can also lower your inflammation by filling your diet with anti-inflammatory foods.

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Sarah DiGiulio is a New York City-based writer and editor who covers psychology, mental health, fitness and sleep, among other health and wellness topics. She’s written for Prevention, Good Housekeeping, HuffPost, Real Simple, Health Magazine and more. It’s the MVP of the brassica family and one of the most powerful detoxifying agents in grocery stores.

Anti-inflammatory foods in the sports diet: the role of polyphenols

While these issues are being resolved, athletes should seek advice on antioxidant supplementation from their health care practitioner(s) who should be assessing individual requirements in terms of underlying health, dietary intakes and training loads. Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, both types of micronutrients that help reduce inflammation. Other anti-inflammatory nutrients include omega-3 fatty acids — specifically the EPA and DHA varieties found in salmon, sardines and tuna, mono-unsaturated fats — found in olive oil — and herbs and spices — like ginger, turmeric and green tea.