Apple cider vinegar for Sore Muscles

by Wayne
(apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com)

We've all experienced sore muscles at one time or other, especially after participating in a sport that we haven't tried for a while. I can remember having sore leg muscles a day after bowling 3 sets in a row or after my first few cross country ski outings of the season.

In a recent article published in FitSugar.com, the author describes how sore her arm muscles were after a particularly strenuous week at the gym. To get relief, she was going to try out an apple cider vinegar home remedy she came across that involved wrapping a cloth, that had been soaked in ACV, around the sore arm muscle for 20 minutes. The natural remedy suggested reapplying the soaked cloth every 3 or 4 hours until the pain was gone for good.

Other ways to relieve tired or sore muscles with apple cider vinegar include:

1) Applying a cloth dampened with apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper directly to the sore muscle for 5 minutes and reapplying as needed.

2) Soaking in a warm water bath into which you have added 2 to 3 cups of apple cider vinegar.

3) Taking a daily apple cider vinegar tonic before meals. (mix 2 or 3 teaspoons of ACV in an 8 ounce (250 ml) glass of water)

The author of the article in FitSugar.com went on to say, mistakenly, that ACV relives sore muscles because it helps to draw lactic acid out of the muscles.

It's a common misconception, held by many coaches and spots trainers, that lactic acid is a caustic waste product responsible for making your muscles sore and tired. But recent research has shown quite the opposite!

According to George Stephenson of La Trobe University's Muscle Research Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia, " Lactic acid production was viewed and is still viewed as a major factor causing muscle fatigue. It is now clear that it actually protects the muscle from becoming fatigued."

Studies by George Brooks at the university of California at Berkeley have shown that muscle cells convert glucose to lactic acid which is then used as a fuel. The brain and the heart also absorb lactic acid from the bloodstream to keep systems running.

So how does apple cider vinegar help soothe sore muscles? More studies are required to answer that one!

References:

1) New York Times Article, May 16, 2006 - Lactic Acid Is Not Muscles' Foe, It's Fuel.

2) ABC News Article - Lactic Acid Helps, Not Hurts, Tired Muscles.