Natural Ways to Cure Your Workout Blues

When legs cramp, it can be a sign that you’re dehydrated, a little low on electrolytes, a bit overtrained, or simply that you went hard and your muscles are in overdrive to recover. Sonnenburg recommends supplementing with the electolyte magnesium on a daily basis if this is a common issue for you.

“Magnesium acts as a muscle relaxant. It also acts upon the limbic system in the brain, decreasing neuronal firing, anxiety, and blood pressure,” she explains. "It’s involved in over 300 processes in the body, and 60 percent of people are suspected to be deficient in it."

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Chafed skin needs to be kept clean, dry, and cool in order to heal. When that isn’t enough, Sonnenburg adds a manuka honey cream to treatment regimens (Published: Nov 28, 2016). These creams are antimicrobial and help heal small wounds.

“I find it excels in those areas where the skin is a bit thin and also tends to sometimes be more moist, and thus harder to heal,” she says.

Taking magnesium can also be an effective way to stave off headaches. If you get a lot of them, a magnesium deficiency might be the culprit, Sonnenburg says.

“I find magnesium can be helpful in prevention and making sure that people are replenishing all electrolytes,” she says. But before she recommends that, she warns runners to rule out more benign causes of headache, like food, or caffeine sensitivities, hunger, or dehydration.

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Exercise, although incredibly good for you, causes damage to muscle tissue. It’s repairing that damage that helps us get stronger, and we need the right nutrition to repair efficiently and with as little soreness as possible.

“You’ve got to make sure you’ve got a robust diet and added antioxidant support if you’re a serious athlete,” says Sonnenburg. ”You’ll burn through resources faster and need to replenish them.”

When you don’t have acute cramping, but find that your legs in general are sore after a ride—even the next day—Sonnenburg says to soak in Epsom salt baths (use a lot, around four cups per soak, for maximum efficiency). She also adds magnesium and potassium supplements, plus anti-inflammatories like boswelia and turmeric, to treatment plans. (Mix them into your post-ride smoothie!)

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Runners experience a whole host of digestive issues, and for some, constipation can be problematic— especially during big training blocks when you’re eating more simple carbs A Part of Hearst Digital Media.

Sonnenburg first looks for the source of the problem: Is it life-long or recent? “I always start with making sure water intake is sufficient and coffee isn’t the culprit,” she says. “If that doesn’t work we may look at food triggers. Then, I’ll sometimes add more fiber New York City Marathon probiotics first. Demulcents help the bowels move with ease, and repair the lining as well. Think licorice, slippery elm, and aloe.”

While probiotics are fine for anyone, Sonnenburg says to check with an expert before dosing with something like slippery elm, since it can increase blood pressure or worsen symptoms in certain cases.

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Once you catch a cold, there aren’t many ways to get rid of it. But you can keep head colds at bay by adding a good-quality, high-potency Echinacea supplement to your diet. “It enhances the innate immune system,” Sonnenburg says.

She also suggests adding mushrooms to meals, since they’re great for rebuilding an immune system that has been taxed.

Feeling sniffly? Adding ginger, lemon, and arugula to your meals can help keep a cold from worsening.

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Okay, so it’s not exactly a running-specific issue, but let’s be honest: After a beer mile—Ways to Stay Healthy While Increasing Mileage postrun celebration—you might be under the weather the next day. “When you re-tox you need to eventually detox,” Sonnenburg says.

Her cure? Forget Tylenol—opt for hydration instead. But also make sure you have enough zinc, an important cofactor in breaking down alcohol. She also recommends adding more antioxidants—especially glutathione—to your morning meal (whey protein in a blueberry smoothie should do the trick, and you can pick some up in the Runner’s World Store) IT Band Syndrome.

The article Natural Ways to Cure Your Workout Blues Nutrition & Weight Loss.