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Healthy Eating

The Effect of Pomegranate Juice on Soreness in Trained Athletes

Intense exercise is often followed by a period of weakness and soreness that can last for days or weeks.

Becca Borawski

Written by Becca Borawski Last updated on July 5, 2011

Intense exercise is often followed by a period of weakness and soreness that can last for days or weeks. The peak of soreness, known as delayed-onset muscle soreness or DOMS, happens in the first day or two following exercise. Numerous folk and medical remedies are on the market claiming to reduce the discomfort of this sore period. Pomegranate is one of these remedies and has been studied previously for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant qualities in regards to cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid

arthritis.

Recently a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research decided to study the effect of pomegranate juice, specifically the polyphenols contained in it, on a group of resistance trained individuals. The pomegranate juice was provided by POM Wonderful whose product is widely available for consumers.

Subjects in this particular test maintained a fifteen day schedule of resistance training and supplemented with pomegranate or a placebo twice daily. On the eighth day of the study, subjects were asked to perform specific eccentric exercises involving the elbow and the knee, intended to provoke DOMS. All subjects went through this fifteen day cycle two times, once taking pomegranate supplement and once taking the placebo, to measure the difference in effect on DOMS.

Results indicated that pomegranate supplementation reduced soreness and strength-loss in the muscles surrounding the elbow, but not in the muscles involved in the prescribed leg exercises. As such, researchers concluded supplementation would be useful for previously resistance trained individuals, both recreational and competitive, for alleviating soreness and preserving strength for multiple days of activities involving the elbows and arms.

Becca Borawski

About Becca Borawski

Becca found her way to a career in health and fitness through Martial Arts and CrossFit. Originally a music editor for film and television, Becca started studying Martial Arts in 2000. Though she started with traditional Martial Arts it was not long before she discovered Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and her path was forever altered. She began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai and started working with professional MMA fighters, building websites, working on fight promotions, and producing videos.

As a competitor in BJJ herself, Becca wanted to get stronger and fitter. In 2006 she discovered CrossFit and became a student at CrossFit Los Angeles. In only a couple of years she became CrossFit Level III Certified, left her career in the film industry, and dedicated herself full time to coaching. She has since been certified through CrossFit in Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting, Nutrition, Endurance and Kids coaching. She also held an NSCA-CSCS from 2006-2008 and is a certified IndoRow instructor. In addition to coaching adults, she founded the CrossFit LA Kids program in 2010 and taught children aged 5-17.

Becca regularly takes on new sports, which have included indoor rowing, fencing, and most recently, cycling, as she believes it makes her both a better athlete and a better coach. In order to reach more people with her coaching, Becca also created ModernAthena.com – a website dedicated to women in pursuit of physical fitness and self-improvement.

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