Micronutrients & recovery
Long-term administration of nutritional interventions that accelerate recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) may impinge on muscle adaptation due to the hormetic effect of blunting necessary inflammatory signaling.
Do not use recovery supplements (like high-dose antioxidants or anti-inflammatories) every day. Reserve them for specific high-stress periods, such as tournament weeks or when you have back-to-back competitions. On normal training days, allow natural inflammation to occur to ensure your muscles adapt and grow.
Persistent use of nutritional interventions that accelerate recovery may impinge on muscle adaptation. Therefore, the goal of the nutritional intervention should be carefully considered in the context of the trade-off between recovery and adaptation.
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing multiple studies on specific nutrients (polyphenols, protein) and theoretical mechanisms (hormesis), providing strong conceptual backing.
Source
Exercise‐induced muscle damage: What is it, what causes it and what are the nutritional solutions?
Daniel J. Owens et al. · European Journal of Sport Science · 2018
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →