3 Ways to Use Ginger to Beat Muscle Soreness

A staple in Asian cooking, this flavorful root can help you recover from workouts. Here's how.

If your only experience with ginger has been leaving it on your plate after finishing your sushi, you may be missing out on what could be one of nature’s strongest anti-inflammatories.

Two studies done at Georgia College and State University in 2010 looked at how ginger affected muscle pain and inflammation after exercise. One experiment had subjects supplement with two grams of ginger for several days and perform curls in the gym. The next day, their soreness was significantly less than expected. The other study also examined the effects of two grams of ginger on arm training. Participants consumed ginger 24 hours and 48 hours after exercise, and the pain was reduced 13% by the second day.

What does this mean for you? Add ginger to your diet, and you may be able to train again sooner.