Ginger is something I generally regard as being useful to reduce nausea, however recent evidence (1) suggests that ginger, either raw or heated (as happens when cooking with ginger), can ease the muscle pain associated with exercise.
The authors of this small study (1) note that ginger has been shown in laboratory studies to have anti-inflammatory effects but that the action on human muscle pain was not certain. They set out to see if 11 days of ginger supplementation could reduce post-exercise muscle pain. They studied ginger in two forms, raw and heat-treated. Participants consumed 2g of either raw of heat treated ginger or an inactive placebo for 11 consecutive days. The participants were asked to perform specific arm exercises known to induce pain and inflammation. Pain intensity, perceived effort, blood levels of specific inflammatory markers (prostaglandin E2), range of motion and a test for strength were assessed prior to and for 3 days after exercise.
Both raw and heat-treated ginger resulted in similar muscle pain reductions 24 hours after exercise compared to placebo. The authors write (1) “This study demonstrates that daily consumption of raw and heat-treated ginger resulted in moderate-to-large reductions in muscle pain following exercise-induced muscle injury. Our findings agree with those showing hypoalgesic effects of ginger in osteoarthritis patients and further demonstrate ginger’s effectiveness as a pain reliever”.
The ginger supplements were seen to reduce exercise induced pain by up to 25% compared to placebo. The study was only small and further trials would be needed to confirm the results prior to making any recommendations for ginger supplementation for prevention or treatment of post-exercise pain. Many people find that they suffer with exercise-induced muscle pain, it is a common kind of injury related to sports and recreation. A non pharmaceutical aid to pain relief is bound to be very much welcomed by many people and I look forward to seeing further evidence emerge over the coming years. Seeing more and more research being conducted with regards nutrition and herbal remedies is very positive to witness. A more toward a more integrative medical system would be embraced by many individuals.
(1)Black CD et al. 2010. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Reduces Muscle Pain Caused by Eccentric Exercise. 26 April 2010. The Journal of Pain . DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2009.12.013
Written by Ani Kowal
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