CASPER
THE FRIENDLY GHOST
Take the "ouch" out of workouts by cooking with this spicy little root: ginger.
A new study shows that getting ample amounts of ginger every day could help decrease postworkout muscle pain by up to 25 percent.
"G" Is for Ginger
In the study, participants took about half a teaspoon of raw or heat-treated ginger daily -- or a placebo -- for 11 days. On day 8, they did a super-difficult arm workout as well. About 24 hours later, the pain levels of the ginger takers were about 25 percent lower than those in the placebo group.
Pain Be Gone
Turns out compounds in ginger have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties similar to those found in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. And those properties help inhibit enzymes and compounds involved in the pain process. Ginger may also have a dulling effect on nerves that process pain signals.
A new study shows that getting ample amounts of ginger every day could help decrease postworkout muscle pain by up to 25 percent.
"G" Is for Ginger
In the study, participants took about half a teaspoon of raw or heat-treated ginger daily -- or a placebo -- for 11 days. On day 8, they did a super-difficult arm workout as well. About 24 hours later, the pain levels of the ginger takers were about 25 percent lower than those in the placebo group.
Pain Be Gone
Turns out compounds in ginger have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties similar to those found in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. And those properties help inhibit enzymes and compounds involved in the pain process. Ginger may also have a dulling effect on nerves that process pain signals.