Best Nutrients to Help with Sports Recovery & Joint Health
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Nicole Avena

Exercise is vital to building and maintaining strong muscles and joints.

Without a consistent exercise regimen, your muscles can become weak and flabby and your joints stiff and brittle.

But be sure to avoid excessive exercise, which can cause severe muscle and joint discomfort, and may lead to knee, hip, or joint injury, which may require surgery.

Here are a couple common ways of overdoing it…

Tennis Elbow

Though a popular sport played by many around the world, tennis might not be the right sport for those who get winded quickly or have reduced mobility. The sport can come with other physical problems too, most famously, “tennis elbow.”

This condition may result from excessive playing or repetitive movement and involves irritation or swelling of the tendons in the elbow. Though the name specifically indicates the elbow, a player also may experience pain in their forearm or wrist. Tennis players may have soreness in any number of muscle groups and may develop pain in their joints.

Proper technique may help reduce the potential for injury, so working with a tennis instructor or experienced player might be a good idea, especially if you’re just starting out with the sport. Also, if you have any pre-existing injuries, consider consulting a physical therapist or sports medicine specialist before hitting the court.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a type of heel pain that afflicts many people. Your plantar fascia is a band of tissue that connects your toes to your heel bone; it supports the arch of your foot and helps to absorb shock when you walk or run. Plantar fasciitis is common in runners, overweight individuals, and those who wear shoes with insufficient support.

One sign you may have plantar fasciitis is a sharp pain when you take the first few steps in the morning. As you move around, the pain typically begins to diminish. However, the pain may return if you stand for an extended period, take a jog, or engage in rigorous physical activities.

To treat plantar fasciitis, physical therapy may be a great place to start. A therapist can help you with specific stretches to strengthen the lower leg muscles, the Achilles tendon, and the plantar fascia. They also might indicate if athletic tape is needed to help relieve pain, and if so, where to place it on your foot.

In addition to these two common sports injuries, there are many other activities that can cause aches and pains in various muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons in your body. Let’s take a quick look at some of the best and worst physical activities for your body, especially as you age.

Worst Sports for Your Body

Consider avoiding these high-impact sports (especially if you’re already dealing with consistent joint or muscle pain):

  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Rugby
  • Long-distance running
  • Racquet sports (tennis, squash, racquetball)

Any sport where you kick a ball, run at high speeds, or make rapid directional changes can be punishing to the joints and ligaments.

Best Sports for Your Body

Here are a few activities you might consider if you suffer from joint pain:

In addition to these low-impact sports, it’s a good idea to support your joints, ligaments, and muscles with high-quality nutrients.

Sports Recovery: Natural Supplements to Help Your Body Heal

Sports Recovery | Supplements for Joint Health

Curcumin from Turmeric

Modern science has extensively researched curcumins (technically, curcuminoid polyphenols) and established their powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, along with a myriad of other positive actions. There are many potential health benefits of curcumin, including support for cardiovascular health, cognitive health, and mood.

In addition to supporting the brain, curcumin also may help the eyes, heart and circulation, joints, intestinal tract, skin, prostate, muscles, nerves, and numerous other human tissues.

However, turmeric powder is very poorly absorbed. Also, many turmeric and curcumin supplements deliver insufficient amounts of these nutrients.

 

BrainMD’s Brain Curcumins supports working memory, calmness, and satisfaction in coping with mental strain. Brain Curcumins provides the three major curcumins in Longvida® Optimized Curcumin Extract.

Longvida is a breakthrough formula that fights physical fatigue and can help support a healthy mood. It’s also clinically shown to have high absorption in humans along with brain benefits.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) have a wide range of profound health benefits, from supporting heart and joint health to promoting healthy cognition and mood. Omega-3s play a crucial role in regulating the body’s healthy inflammatory responses, which reduce the chances of having problems with your circulation, joints, and other organs.

It’s thought that EPA may help reduce inflammatory processes in the brain. EPA plays a critical role in supporting the healthy regulation of cellular inflammation while DHA is the most abundant omega-3 found in the brain and is important in maintaining nerve cell structure and function. Here are two powerful and ultra-pure omega-3 supplements:

Omega-3 For Muscle Recovery and Joint Health

Omega-3 Power is a potent fish oil supplement that provides high-quality EPA and DHA fatty acids. These fatty acids are essential for our brain cells to make the trillions of connections that enable peak cognitive, mood, and behavioral performance.

Sourced from pelagic (not bottom-feeders) fish species with short lifespans (so that they don’t accumulate too many toxins), the fish oil in Omega-3 Power undergoes the most advanced purification process in the supplement industry. The oil in Omega-3 Power is also recognized by several international organizations as a sustainably managed ingredient.

Omega-3 Power Squeeze is a pleasant-tasting fish oil liquid omega-3 emulsion, customized for children and adults seeking an alternative to taking capsules. It delivers 910 mg EPA and 590 mg DHA for a total of 1500 mg per serving.

The ultra-pure fish oil in Omega-3 Power Squeeze is extracted in its natural triglyceride form from sustainably harvested fish. The fish oil is tested by independent labs to exclude over 250 toxic contaminants, heavy metals, and other substances. It is maintained fresh throughout the verification process and then is gently purified and emulsified for better absorption and taste.

Getting adequate amounts of EPA and DHA is a great way to improve overall brain and body function and well-being. Whether in capsule or liquid form, the EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids in these well-absorbed, proprietary fish oil supplements can help promote a healthy mood, improved cognition, and whole-body wellness.

Live Pain-free

Physical exercise is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to keep your brain and body health. Exercise is a great way to feel better, stay healthy, and just have fun.

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of some form of physical activity every day. But be careful not to overdo it. Excessive exercise can lead to muscle and joint pain or other serious physical problems.

These sports recovery tips can help reduce pain so you can stay active and live a pain-free life. Start strengthening your muscles and joints with these supporting nutrients today!

At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.

Keith Rowe
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