5 Ways Bone Broth Can Aid Your Post-Workout Recovery

By now, we’ve all heard about the amazing benefits of bone broth. This nutrient dense liquid is made by boiling chicken or beef bones for an extended period of time. This is done to extract collagen and other powerful minerals from the marrow, which act as an anti-inflammatory poultice for the body’s joints, muscles, and the gut.

With the rise of popularity of the Paleo movement, there has been an increase in the number of nutritional products and supplements available, filling out this relatively new dietary niche. Throughout the health and wellness community, there has been a rippling tide of new fad diets and forms of lifestyle imitating the ones that sustained our ancestors. It became trendy to shun the processed foods and sedentary lifestyle that we’ve created for ourselves. One such nutritional resurgent, making its way back in modern diet, has been bone broth. In the sports nutrition world, this soup supplement has been gaining traction with everyone from CrossFitters to NBA superstars.

Frequent Exercise Is Good For You, But It Can Also Put High Demands On Your Body

After a tough workout, your body needs nutrients to aid in recovery and muscle building. Bone broth has been hyped as a health elixir for years, and for a very good reason: it’s packed with ingredients that can strengthen your joints and ligaments, help you refuel, and aid in post-workout recovery. People who engage in a significant amount of training often deal with digestive stress, whether due to the actual training or the amounts and types of foods they need to consume to support that hard training. Gelatin, glycine, and glutamine in bone broth have been shown to aid in the promotion of digestive health. And though exercise is a healthy stressor, frequent high-intensity training is stressful for the body, meaning athletes may need extra help when it comes to gut repair.

Intense Workout Can Be Tasking On The Digestive System

Inflammation is our body’s natural response to injury or infection. Athletes often have inflammation processes in their body, coming from overuse or injuries to sustained tissues and joints. Bone broth is high in anti-inflammatory amino acids like glycine and proline. Both of these molecules have been proven to help speed up the recovery process and reduce inflammation in the human body. Bone broth allows muscles and joints to heal quicker, and enables quicker recovery post-workout.

As we age, collagen production in our skin slows down, making our joints more susceptible to injury. Drinking bone broth is an easy way to introduce collagen back into our body, naturally supporting healthy bones and stronger joints. Your body also loses collagen as it ages, so drinking bone broth is a great way to supplement. Another key component of bone broth is gelatin, a nutrient that may provide cushioning and glide for your joints.

Bone Broth Is A Great Source Of Sodium And Electrolytes

Bone broth is a great source of healthy sodium and other electrolytes. Whether you’re working out or simply living in a hot climate, when you sweat, your body loses water and sodium. One of the best solutions for replenishing those losses are electrolytes. Bone broth provides a source of high-quality electrolytes, including sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, to help your body recover quicker. 

You simply can’t perform at your best if you’re feeling under the weather. There's a reason our parents always made some chicken soup when we were bedridden as a child.

How Much Of Bone Broth You Should Consume?

Knowing the benefits of bone broth is great, but let's use those benefits to improve our daily living. How much bone broth is right for you to consume depends on your goals and health history.

While bone broth won’t be the only tool in your post-workout toolbox, there’s no doubt it’s a valuable supplement. Post-workout, bone broth helps you replenish protein, electrolytes, and water, plus the collagen and glycine. This can help repair soft tissues damaged during exercise. It also supports joint health, helps reduce inflammation, and supports both digestive and overall immune health. Bone broth is a fantastic post-workout supplement.