Consuming almonds may boost post-exercise muscle recovery, performance: Study

Eating almonds may reduce some feelings of muscle soreness during exercise recovery and improve performance in specific tasks, according to a small study. In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, 25 mildly overweight middle-aged men and women performed a 30-minute downhill treadmill run test after eight weeks of consuming 57 grammes (two ounces) of whole raw almonds daily. The control group ate a calorie-matched (86 grammes per three ounces) snack of unsalted pretzels. The treadmill test was designed to cause muscle damage to see how almonds affected muscle recovery.The researchers measured participants’ muscle function; blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation, and perceived muscle soreness using a visual scale, before, during and at three timepoints after the treadmill test.