Can Spice Soothe Muscle Soreness?

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• Add spice, soothe soreness

• Let’s clear the air

• Are you prepared?

Nutrition 
Soothe Soreness With Some Spice

Sleep, hydration, mobility, and protein are the four pillars of muscle recovery. But if you check all those boxes, a common pantry item could help you bounce back faster. 

Research suggests that curcumin — a polyphenol in the spice turmeric — can help you bounce back faster from your hardest workouts.

The scientists analyzed 14 studies, tracked changes in markers of muscle damage (such as creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels), and recorded soreness and recovery times compared to control groups that did not supplement with curcumin.

Curcumin appears to help prevent muscle breakdown, limit muscle damage, and decrease soreness. And that’s not all. It was also associated with improved range of motion and a lower perception of fatigue, meaning people felt they could bounce back faster. 

The researchers believe curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties likely reduce muscle damage and soreness. By lowering inflammation, curcumin helps create an environment that supports faster healing, allowing you to recover quickly and perform at your highest level.

If you want to improve your recovery, consider adding a curcumin supplement to your post-workout routine. The researchers found that lower doses appear more effective, with most results occurring around 500 milligrams daily. But the effects aren’t instant, and it doesn’t replace good rest and nutrition. You’ll likely need to supplement for several weeks or months before you start feeling the benefits. 

On Our Radar 
Let’s Clear The Air

How much is air pollution a threat to your health? A recent analysis of more than 270 million people from North America, Europe, and Asia suggests you might want to take small steps at home to reduce your risk.

The study found that typical exposure to air pollution was associated with a higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease and lung cancer.

Air pollution's dangers appear to be linked to exposure to microscopic particles that can be absorbed into your bloodstream. These particles can travel through your body, increasing your risk of inflammation and cellular damage.

While many types of pollution were linked to the potential risk, the worst kind seems to be a subtype called PM10, which is associated with dust, forest fires, vehicle exhaust, and coal burning power plants. This form of air pollution was linked to a 10 percent higher risk of death.

While pollution might seem beyond your control, you can improve your home environment. You can reduce your exposure by adding an indoor air filtration systems (like HEPA air purifiers), limiting indoor wood burning in fireplaces and wood stoves, opening windows or using fans when using gas burners, and staying inside as much as possible when outdoor air is full of smoke.

Adam’s Corner
Are You Prepared?

Two weeks ago, my wife and I welcomed our third child into the world.

Three days later, we watched her spit up blood in the wee hours of the morning.

When people ask me, “What books best prepare you to become a parent?” I often pause before answering.

It’s not that good books don’t exist. I read a couple of books before I had my first child, but there’s a big difference between being knowledgeable and being prepared.

Books can educate you about baby’s cues, the sleepless nights, volcanic spit-ups, and the need to support your partner.

But books don’t — and can’t — prepare you for the hardest challenges of becoming a parent. And it’s not just parenting; books can’t prepare you for life’s biggest moments.

If you want to be prepared for life-changing situations, you must force yourself to do hard things.

It’s probably the most underrated aspect of physical fitness that isn’t discussed enough.

Most people work out to look good naked or feel better, for health benefits, to recover from injury, or to live longer. These are great motivators and anything that gets you active is a good thing.

But the most underrated aspect of pushing yourself physically is that it builds the resolve to dig deep, get uncomfortable, and see what you’re made of. 

Because at some point, you will be challenged, and you need to know that you can rise above whatever is thrown your way.

Years ago, I used to train in my garage. I purposely didn’t put in any heat or insulation. My wife would beg me to do so because that garage could get down to -10 degrees or colder in the winter. On the surface, it seems like a stubborn and arrogant decision. Who was I trying to impress?

It wasn’t about looking tough. I purposely trained in those miserable conditions because I wanted to be as uncomfortable as possible in a controlled environment. 

Because so much of life isn’t controlled — it’s chaotic and disruptive. 

One day, you’re on top of the world, thrilled that your daughter is healthy — the next, you’re terrified and wondering if your world is about to be stolen from you. 

You can’t prepare for the unknown, but you can purposely put yourself in hard situations to know that when the real challenges come your way, you can endure the storm. 

My wife (who is an incredibly talented therapist) likes to say that so much anxiety comes from an underlying belief that you can’t handle your greatest fears. 

So it’s important to build that resolve and prove that you can, which is why I made my gym uncomfortable in the winter.

I wanted my gym to be so bone-chillingly cold to deter me from stepping foot in it.
I wanted the barbells and dumbbells to burn my hands from the frost.
I wanted the mental challenge of knowing the workout would be the second hardest part. Just showing up built my will to endure discomfort.

These workouts are nothing compared to watching your loved ones suffer. 
I can’t — and wouldn’t — compare it to what happened with my daughter. Just as it didn’t make it easier watching my father battle brain cancer.

It’s not about comparison. It’s about strengthening your “discomfort muscle” and reminding yourself that you can withstand whatever is thrown your way. 

I’m not saying this approach is for everyone. However, controlled pain is something that has served me well when life gets hard. 

Because in the worst moments, life doesn’t give you control. I can leave the gym at any point. I can’t walk away from the real hard stuff.

If you want to be prepared for life, learn to extend your comfort zone. 

Because when you put your soul out there, taste victory and defeat, and know that you can stare difficulty in the eye and not back down, it changes you for the better.

When I watched my baby girl spit up blood, my heart was in my throat.

But my brain stayed calm. I got everything ready for my boys so they could go to school. My wife and I packed up what we needed. We talked to our doctor and headed to the emergency room.

I was scared, but I wasn’t shaken.

I knew I could handle it, and the rest was in the hands of others.

Thankfully, my daughter is OK, and she is doing well.

Once the dust settled and we were back home, I felt tired. But I still forced myself to train and push a little bit harder.

Because I know the challenges I create today will help me overcome the unknown problems I might face tomorrow.

And that’s the best preparation there is. -AB

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell