Watermelon Juice Prevents Aching Muscles
Food Chemistry: The amino acid L-citrulline found in the
fruit could help athletes avoid muscle soreness after a
hard workout
By Erika Gebel
Chemical & Engineering News
July 25, 2013
Keywords - L-citrulline, bioavailability, anaerobic
performance, pasteurization, cellular absorption,
watermelon
The Next Sports Drink?
Watermelon drinks, like this smoothie, could help cut
down on muscle soreness after intense exercise.
Credit: Shutterstock
Before taking a long bike ride on a hot summer day, have
some watermelon: The juicy fruit may ward off muscle
pains. Researchers report that people who drank
watermelon juice before exercising felt less sore the
next day than those who drank a pink placebo beverage (J.
Agric. Food Chem. 2013, DOI: 10.1021/jf400964r). They
also found that cells absorb the presumed active
ingredient, L-citrulline, more readily from unpasteurized
watermelon juice than from plain water spiked with the
compound, suggesting the natural source is the optimal
delivery medium.
L-citrulline is an uncommon amino acid that, until
recently, hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, says Encarna
Aguayo of the Technical University of Cartagena in Spain.
Scientists now recognize that L-citrulline has
antioxidant properties and may enhance athletic
performance, she says. For example, studies have shown
that L-citrulline in supplement form accelerates removal
of lactic acid from muscles, allowing for more intense
training and faster recovery. Watermelon is one of the
few natural foods with an abundance of L-citrulline, so
Aguayo wanted to test whether the fruit’s juice could
function as a sports drink.
Continues at:
Watermelon Juice Prevents Aching Muscles | Chemical & Engineering News
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