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Two handfuls of almonds daily may help reduce post-exercise pain and muscle damage

A randomized crossover study published recently in Current Developments in Nutrition evaluated the impact of almonds on pain, muscle force production, and biochemical indices of muscle damage and inflammation during recovery from exercise.

In the study, 26 middle-aged adults were instructed to eat either 57 g (two ounces) of whole raw almonds or a calorie-matched serving of unsalted pretzels daily. After eight weeks of eating almonds or pretzels, and with a four-week washout period between the two interventions, participants performed a 30-minute downhill treadmill run to induce muscle damage and then were immediately given their daily serving of almonds or pretzels. Participants continued to eat daily servings of almonds or pretzels for three days after the run. Perceived muscle soreness, muscle performance, and blood markers of muscle damage/inflammation were measured before the run and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the run.

The almond group had lower levels of creatine kinase (a marker of muscle damage), a quicker decline in creatine kinase levels after 72 hours (suggesting faster recovery), better muscle performance at 24 and 72 hours, and modestly reduced pain ratings following maximal contraction at 24 and 48 hours. The researchers concluded that this apparent effect of almond ingestion on exercise recovery has the potential to help people stick to their exercise routines.

This study was supported by the Almond Board of California.

Rayo, V. U., Cervantes, M., Hong, M. Y., Hooshmand, S., Jason, N., Liu, C., North, E., Okamoto, L., Storm, S., Witard, O. C., & Kern, M. (2024). Almond Consumption Modestly Improves Pain Ratings, Muscle Force Production, and Biochemical Markers of Muscle Damage Following Downhill Running in Mildly Overweight, Middle-Aged Adults: A Randomized, Crossover Trial. Current Developments in Nutrition, 8(9), 104432.

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