How To Keep Inflammation In Check After Exercise: Recovery & Supplement Ideas

"Inflammation" is almost always presented as a bad thing—but it's not always something to avoid. Following a workout, for example, inflammation and soreness are signs that your muscles are reacting to the stimulus appropriately.

"To repair damaged muscles, your body responds with acute inflammation to absorb the damaged cells and get rid of them. This breakdown and repair process is how you gradually get stronger, fitter, and grow muscle," holistic nutritionist and athlete Melissa Boufounos, CHN, previously explained on mindbodygreen. While you don't need to feel sore to know you had a good workout, a little tenderness is nothing to avoid.

However, research shows that in some cases, workouts can contribute to chronically high levels of inflammatory markers1 that increase your risk of injury and may even prompt catabolism2, or the breakdown of muscle tissue.

The best way to combat chronic inflammation and maintain a healthy inflammatory response is to give your body adequate time to recover from exercise. This means spacing out your tougher workouts, prioritizing high-quality sleep, and rehydrating quickly.

Your nutrition makes a big difference too. An "anti-inflammatory diet" usually consists of plenty of protein, fiber, and healthy fats and is low in processed foods, refined sugars, and trans fats.

A review published in the journal Nutrients in 2022 found evidence that creatine supplementation has anti-inflammatory and anti-catabolic effects3. Creatine plays a critical role in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body's primary energy source. Our bodies naturally produce creatine, but supplemental creatine is also widely available and relatively affordable.

"The number of studies examining the anti-inflammatory effects of creatine supplementation in various disease and exercise states continues to grow with promising results," the Nutrients review reads. For example, one randomized controlled trial found that supplementing with creatine during half-ironman training was associated with lower inflammatory markers post-race4.

And it's not just extreme endurance athletes who could benefit from adding creatine to their recovery routine. Beyond preventing muscle wasting (catabolism), creatine also seems to increase measures of muscle mass and performance in adults5 of all ages6 when combined with resistance exercise. Research shows that adding creatine to your training routine can increase muscular strength in as little as two weeks7, as well as support a greater reduction in body fat percentage8 than resistance training alone.

Eating well, sleeping enough, and hydrating are essential after tough workouts. If you're looking to amp up your recovery routine even more, you can also consider taking supplemental creatine.