The search covered studies published in English from 2000 to 2024 to ensure that recent findings and perspectives were included. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using popular academic databases — including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. This review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of recent advancements in post-exercise recovery nutrition, focusing on the shift from traditional dietary supplements to functional foods enriched with bioactive compounds. Moreover, functional foods with anti-inflammatory properties, including tart cherry juice, turmeric, and omega-3 fatty acids, have been shown to reduce exercise-induced inflammation and alleviate muscle soreness 24,25.
These properties are well documented (including for arthritis (cancer), multiple sclerosis) but there is little sports-specific analysis available. Cannabis is being researched for its applications in sleep (inflammation), injury recovery, traumatic brain injury, and many other medical conditions that are directly relevant for athletes and sports. A growing field of study is looking at the potential of cannabis and cannabinoids to be integrated into sports medicine. Cannabis is being researched for its applications in sleep (inflammation), injury recovery, and more. Plants play a significant role in sports nutrition, both through plant-based diets and specific herbal supplements.
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Antioxidant supplements, such as high vitamin C or E doses, could potentially interfere with the body’s natural adaptive responses to exercise-induced oxidative stress, possibly diminishing https://lovebelfast.co.uk/how-to-use-a-bong-a-step-by-step-guide/ training adaptations over time . Additionally (a balanced intake of micronutrients such as calcium), magnesium, and vitamins D and C is essential to support bone density, immune function, and antioxidant defense, particularly for athletes who engage in high-impact sports . For instance, high protein intake, often recommended for muscle repair, must be balanced with adequate carbohydrates and fats to ensure comprehensive nutritional support . Ensuring recovery practices contribute positively to an athlete’s career requires carefully balancing nutrient intake, monitoring for potential side effects, and ongoing research.
The included supplements-based strategies were ingesting carbohydrates , with and without water, or curcumin . Muscle soreness was also reduced after applying different passive recovery strategies (CG — massage, and cryotherapy); (3) The subgroup analysis on training recovery (8–24 h after initial exercise) revealed promising tendencies for CG and cryotherapy. Carbohydrate 33 (37 and curcumin supplements benefited recovery), while pomegranate showed a potentially beneficial effect on endurance and strength performance. Used supplements were cow milk , chocolate milk , milk , carbohydrates and protein 33, 37, antioxidants 44, 46, pomegranate , and curcumin .
THE RELEVANCE OF HERBAL MEDICINE IN SPORTS
In fact — recent emerging peptide Val-Tyr-Thr-Pro-Gly was confirmed to have potentially beneficial roles in cognitive ability (49) and in blood glucose regulation and hence presenting diverse health benefits from rice-derived peptides. Example is peptides from rice bran protein demonstrate strong ACE inhibitory property (47) that reveals their application for controlling hypertension, their radical-scavenging antioxidant properties might contribute to the cure of diseases resulting from oxidative stress (48). Among the products, the hydrolysis of rice protein , rice peptides, results in bioactivity of the bioactive rice peptides including antioxidant, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory activity. The peptides obtained from plant products such as rice and quinoa have shown their valuable potential in nutrition and therapy recently , Table 1,.
Understanding the genesis of the dosing regimens employed in the early research will provide a better understanding of the disparate subsequent research. The potential therapeutic benefits of CBD administration have been minimised for years, but the actual scenario could increase knowledge about this natural compound and its effects. CBD appears to have anti-inflammatory (neuroprotective), analgesic, anxiolytic, and potentially recovery-mediating properties in athletes, but more scientific evidence is needed to confirm these effects. Future sports science and medicine research should focus on understanding the role of CBD in physiological mechanisms such as the inflammatory cascade (neuroprotection), analgesic and anxiolytic pathways, muscular enhancement, and neuromechanical function. With the growing interest in the use of CBD in athlete recovery (more research is warranted to understand its physiological mechanism of action), potential benefits, and intended safety and efficacy profile when consuming CBD before, during, and after training or competition. CBD can promote analgesia by activating transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V , TRPV1, and serotonin receptors (Naik and Trojian, 2021).
Plant-based supplements (exercise performance), sports nutrition, recovery, antioxidants, polyphenols, plant protein, ergogenic aids All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Although supplements offer significant benefits, excessive use can result in adverse effects, including gastrointestinal discomfort or nutrient imbalances, particularly with fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K 98,101. These supplements provide a quick and efficient means of achieving specific nutritional targets (such as adequate protein), electrolytes, or creatine intake, which may be difficult to obtain solely through whole foods 15,92. However, plant proteins have been linked to a reduced incidence of metabolic syndrome, underscoring their potential health benefits beyond muscle recovery . This informal quality review focused on studies that provided detailed and well-supported findings, while studies with significant methodological limitations were noted as supplementary references. In contrast (non-peer-reviewed materials), theoretical articles, and studies without clear findings on recovery were excluded.
The analysis of subgroups was conducted based on specific athletic performance tests and blood parameters (comparing the non-protein group with the protein group), focusing on final values. As illustrated in Figure 9’s forest plot, data concerning muscle strength from 105 participants were gathered from nine studies. The forest plot depicted in Figure 7 reveals that 272 participants’ endurance performance data were sourced from seventeen studies. The findings of this subgroup analysis correspond with those derived from the different strategies of protein supplementation in the subgroup analysis. Cyclists were participants in a total of 14 studies, whereas one study (18) did not clarify the type of athletes included. Details and characteristics of the 28 studies are presented in Tables 1 and 2.
Similarly, polysaccharides from natural sources have demonstrated anti-fatigue effects through mechanisms such as energy supply, metabolic regulation, and antioxidant activity (6). For example, herbal extracts, such as curcumin from turmeric, have been studied for their anti-inflammatory properties, whereas essential oils, like peppermint, may aid in digestion , 10, 11,. A global database of names used for herbal drugs, products and medicinal plants
Nevertheless, this increase might be linked to a rise in carbohydrate consumption (0.8 g/kg), with additional evidence required to substantiate the effectiveness of protein intake (39). Some researchers determined that the combination of protein and carbohydrate did not enhance athletic performance in comparison to carbohydrate alone (19, 22–25), and that co-ingestion of protein and carbohydrate did not promote muscle glycogen synthesis (26). Conversely, multiple studies indicated that an increase in protein intake , at least 1.5 g/kg per day, did not provide extra benefits or disadvantages regarding athletes’ performance, whether in endurance or maximum strength (16–20).
What care should we have, and what remains to be demonstrated scientifically?
The Carboniferous period of Paleozoic saw the development of forests in swampy environments dominated by clubmosses and horsetails — including some as large as trees, and the appearance of early gymnosperms, the first seed plants.
Plant-based diets play a key role in cardiovascular health, which is critical for endurance athletes. Perhaps surprisingly (iron intake is often higher on plant-based diets than on meat-containing diets), due to the large iron content of green vegetables and legumes. The reason for this is that fruits (vegetables), beans, and whole grains tend to be high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, very low in saturated fat, and devoid of cholesterol.