Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Oral supplementation of mint extract (5 ml/kg body mass) taken one hour before exercise significantly reduces post-exercise blood lactate concentrations compared to placebo or control.
If you are a healthy, moderately active individual, taking 5 ml of mint extract per kg of body weight one hour before a high-intensity run (like 400m) may help clear blood lactate faster than doing nothing or drinking unsweetened tea. However, do not expect this to reduce muscle soreness.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Oral administration of mint extract significantly (p<0.01) decreased blood lactate concentrations but muscle pain levels remained unchanged in all groups.
Why this rating
Small sample size (n=16), single acute bout of exercise, specific population (PE students), but rigorous double-blind crossover design.
Source
Effects of oral supplementation of mint extract on muscle pain and blood lactate
Gül Sönmez et al. · Biomedical Human Kinetics · 2010
crossover · n=16Cited 15×
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