The Watermelon Remedy For Sore Muscles

There are always new workout ideas.  This one claims that if you drink watermelon juice before working out, you will have less muscle soreness.

This idea is based upon watermelon containing l-citrulline, an amino acid that seems to protect against muscle soreness.

l-citrulline has anti-inflammatory properties.  Watermelon also contains the anti-inflammatory antioxidant lycopene as well as cucurbitacin E, which blocks the activity of the pain and inflammation-causing enzyme cyclooxygenase, which is the same enzyme blocked by COX-2 inhibitors which include most NSAID drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen.

A hard workout, which builds muscle, effectively stresses and challenges your muscles. As your muscle fibers repair themselves, they will grow stronger in the process.

How much watermelon juice will do the trick?  Try juicing about one-third of a fresh watermelon and drinking the juice prior to your workout.  This contains a little over one gram of l-citrulline. 

While watermelon does have beneficial nutrients, it might not be the best idea to drink it prior to each workout, as it contains a significant amount of fructose, which should be consumed in limited amounts.

For More Information:

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/10/18/watermelon-for-muscle-soreness.aspx?e_ci...