Usually you look for certain foods in hopes of losing your love handles or packing on slabs of muscle. But there are just as many muscle-recovery foods to lessen the impact of your most grueling workouts.
It’s true: You don’t have to hobble around for days after you hammer legs if you choose the right post-workout foods. Here, nutritionist Kristen Carlucci, RD, highlights a range of foods you can eat throughout the day so you can enhance your workout recovery whether you like to exercise first thing in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night. Stock your fridge and pantry with these muscle-recovery foods, and start feeling the difference.
10 Best Muscle-Recovery Foods
1. Manuka Honey
Manuka honey isn’t the same sticky stuff you have in your pantry. It’s a monofloral honey, meaning it predominantly comes from the nectar of one plant species called the Manuka bush in New Zealand. Manuka honey has a distinctive flavor that’s milder than typical honey; it’s also much thicker. It’s considered one of the most beneficial forms of honey in the world. “Manuka honey is a potent anti-inflammatory that helps to suppress exercise-induced inflammation in the body,” Carlucci says. “It’s also rich in carbohydrates, which are needed to refill glycogen stores and deliver protein to your muscles.” Try drizzling some onto yogurt, or into tea.
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