A new study found that eating almonds will reduce some feelings of muscle soreness during exercise.
These results expand on prior research which looked at how almonds affect muscle recovery after exercise. The study, published in Frontiers in Nutrition and funded by the Almond Board of California, 25 mildly overweight middle-aged men and women performed a 30-minute downhill treadmill run test after eight weeks of consuming 57g(two ounces) of whole raw almonds daily.
Participants who ate almonds experienced an almost 25 percent reduction in muscle soreness when performing an explosive power exercise (a vertical jump challenge) over the cumulative 72-hour exercise recovery period.
“Our study suggests that snacking on almonds can be recommended to occasional exercisers as a go-to food to help fitness recovery after strenuous exercise,” said Dr. Oliver C. Witard, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition at Kings College London.
“Almonds are naturally nutritious with protein, good fats and the antioxidant vitamin E. They can be considered an ideal food for fitness.” One serving of almonds (28 g) has 4 g of plant protein, 13 g of good unsaturated fat and only 1 g of saturated fat. Dr. Witard’s study joins previous research which examined how regular almond snacking affected exercise recovery for healthy adults who exercise occasionally.“
Sticking to an exercise routine is not easy, so finding dietary strategies to help people be – and stay – physically activeis important for public health. Our preliminary findings are encouragingin showing that almond snacking may promote adherence to new training programs amongpeoplewhoare unaccustomed to exercise,” said Witard.
One ounce (28 g) of almonds provides 6g protein, 4 g of fiber and 15 essential nutrients, including 76 mg magnesium (20% DV), 7.3 mg vitamin E (50% DV), and 210 mg potassium (4% DV), making them a great snack for healthy active lifestyles.
