This Supplement Helps Fight Chronic Inflammation After Your Workouts

"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.

Here's how to avoid chronic inflammation following exercise—and how a supplement might help.

How to reduce inflammation after tough exercise

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.

Certain supplements have also been shown to decrease markers of inflammation following exercise, including creatine.

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.

Moral of the story: If you're bumping up your time in the gym, creatine may help reduce the negative wear-and-tear of training and increase its positive effects. The supplement is considered very safe in the fitness community9, even in high doses, though 3-5 grams per day seems to be a sweet spot for everyday athletes looking for performance and recovery benefits.

The takeaway

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.

There's emerging research to show the muscle-supporting supplement touts particular benefits for women—learn about that here.