Sweat It Out, Then Drink It In

Faster recovery, reduced pain and more nutrient replacement. There seems to be no end to the dramatic claims of newfangled sports drinks. But how do the old ones measure up?

Two new studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine conference in Seattle last week indicate that some old-fashioned drinks might work better than those star-endorsed, high-priced glucose and food coloring delivery systems all over TV.

Drinking unsweetened cherry juice after a run may help ease pain due to the berry's high anti-inflammatory properties,according to a small study conducted by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.

 

In the study, 60 healthy adults aged between 18 and 50 years who drank 10.5 ounces of cherry juice twice daily in the week before competing in a long-distance race reported significantly less muscle pain than those who consumed another juice.

Kerry Kuehl, sports medicine physician at Oregon Health & Science University, and a principle researcher, tells the Telegraph:

"For most runners, post-race treatment consists of RICE — rest, ice, compression and elevation — and traditional NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

"But NSAIDS can have adverse effects — negative effects you may be able to avoid by using a natural, whole food alternative, like cherry juice, to reduce muscle inflammation before exercise."

Another small study presented at the conference suggests that drinking lowfat chocolate milk after an intense workout provides equal or better muscle recovery than a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage with the same amount of calories.

In this study, 13 male college soccer players were given lowfat chocolate milk or a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage every day after an intense practice. After high-powered two-day and four-day sessions, the chocolate milk drinkers had significantly lower levels of creatine kinase — an indicator of muscle damage — compared to those who drank the non-milk beverage.

The chocolate milk drinkers did not report differences in performance or pain.

Why chocolate milk? It has more carbs and a carb-to-protein ratio which is in line with exercise recovery recommendations, a spokeswoman for the study says.

The research was conducted with a grant from the National Dairy Council and the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board.

Further studies are needed on both beverages, scientists say.

If it's all too much for you to decide what to drink after exercise, you can never go wrong with water. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports that all the other stuff may make it harder for your body to absorb what it needs most — H2O.