Muscle Recovery

Nutrients connected to Muscle Recovery

A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.

• BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine)Preliminary or mixed

  Some trials found less muscle soreness after hard exercise, mainly in trained people; results vary.

• CreatinePreliminary or mixed

  Some studies suggest help with recovery and rehabilitation, but results are mixed.

• AstaxanthinPreliminary or mixed

  A 2026 review of 24 trials found lower creatine kinase, a muscle-damage marker, after exercise. It is a blood marker, not proof of faster recovery.

• Polyphenols: quercetin and resveratrolPreliminary or mixed

  Quercetin was linked to less soreness and lower creatine kinase after hard exercise in small, short studies.

• Lemon verbenaPreliminary or mixed

  In 44 healthy adults an extract meant less loss of muscle strength after exhausting exercise. The trial was sponsored by the extract owner.

• Tart CherriesPreliminary or mixed

  A meta-analysis of tart cherry supplementation found a small reduction in soreness after strenuous exercise, with no significant effect on creatine kinase.

• WatermelonPreliminary or mixed

  Some trials of watermelon juice or citrulline-rich foods reported less soreness 24-72 hours after exercise; results were inconsistent.

• Mycoprotein (Quorn)Preliminary or mixed

  Muscle protein synthesis after exercise was similar to other protein foods in one trial.

• Skyr & QuarkPreliminary or mixed

  Quark after exercise raised muscle protein building in a 4-hour study in 29 men; not shown to improve recovery or muscle size.

• Collagen Peptides (Hydrolyzed Collagen)Preliminary or mixed

  A systematic review of 15 trials covered muscle soreness and recovery from exercise with collagen peptides; results were mixed.

• GelatinPreliminary or mixed

  Small trials of vitamin C-enriched gelatin measured collagen markers and soreness; results were small, short and not significant on the main outcome.

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