Relieving Training Aches and Pains with the Food You Eat

A little experiment has been going on during my training and low and behold I find there's some truth to my testing. With all this bike riding that's been happening, sometimes I get aches and pain in the joints and muscles (huh... imagine that at 51! or any age when you ride 10+ hours a week). I feel it most in my knees -- especially after last night's 70 rpm interval workout. No, it's not one of those really hurtful pains that you have to stop what you're doing, but a twinge, an old person's ache. Oh, that's right, I'm the old one and none of you are! Damn it. Anyways.... the past couple times I felt the ache, I downed soy protein or nuts (almonds, peanuts, soynut butter, almond butter, etc) afterwards and low and behold the next day the pain is gone. This morning was another test with passing scores. And I come to find there's some evidence to the foods you eat relieving aches and pains. Healthy fats and omega 3's are key. a.k.a, the nuts and soy in my diet. Below is the juice from the above link that says it all, courtesy Lisa Dorman, the running nutritionist. So eat your good fats and omegas! Oh, and sufficient water helps too.

Monounsaturated fats like olive, peanut, canola, and sesame oils, as well as avocado, also inhibit and reduce inflammation by interfering with pro-inflammatory compounds called leukotrienes, which are produced naturally by the body. Men and women who consume “Mediterranean” type diets—fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oils -- have been shown to have a lower incidence of inflammatory-type conditions such as heart disease and arthritis.

Diets high in omega 3s have been shown to increase collagen deposition and promote healing. Collagen is the main protein in connective tissue, which makes up 25 percent of the total protein content in our bodies. Omega 3s found in fish, flax, soy, and almonds specifically have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects by preventing the formation of inflammatory compounds.

Salmon, sardines, light tuna, tofu, walnuts, and ground flax are all rich sources of Omega-3s, the healthy fats that prevent the production of inflammatory compounds. Vitamin D, which is found in fatty fishes, fortified milk, shakes, and drinks, along with zinc-rich beans, lean red meat, yogurt, and peanuts, has been found to control inflammatory stress.