Just wondering if anybody has any suggestions or can provide links to info about preventing and/or reducing muscle pain and inflammation while on the trail.

Obviously a lot of people use ibuprofen, but I'm just wondering if anybody has other ideas.

Some links/research (not endorsing, just passing along what I found):

Inflammation-Fighting Foods (suggests pineapple, cherries, apples, almonds etc.)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/top-...ory-foods.html

From research journals:

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: Treatment Strategies and Performance Factors - Sports Medicine Journal
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...00002/art00005
"Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have demonstrated dosage-dependent effects that may also be influenced by the time of administration. Similarly, massage has shown varying results that may be attributed to the time of massage application and the type of massage technique used. Cryotherapy, stretching, homeopathy, ultrasound and electrical current modalities have demonstrated no effect on the alleviation of muscle soreness or other DOMS symptoms."

MASSAGE: Does post-exercise massage treatment reduce delayed onset muscle soreness? A systematic review.
Br J Sports Med 1998;32:212-214 doi:10.1136/bjsm.32.3.212
http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/32/3/212.abstract
Most of the trials were burdened with serious methodological flaws, and their results are far from uniform. However, most suggest that post-exercise massage may alleviate symptoms of DOMS. CONCLUSIONS: Massage therapy may be a promising treatment for DOMS. Definitive studies are warranted.

OMEGA 3: The Effects of Ingestion of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Perceived Pain and External Symptoms
http://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/...cids_on.7.aspx
Conclusions: Ingestion of omega-3 can be effective in ameliorating delayed onset muscle soreness induced by eccentric exercise.

ANTIOXIDANTS: Antioxidants and physical performance
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...08399509527692
"Physical training has been shown to result in an augmented antioxidant system and a reduction in lipid peroxidation. Supplementation with antioxidants appears to reduce lipid peroxidation but has not been shown to enhance exercise performance. "

BLACK TEA: The effects of theaflavin-enriched black tea extract on muscle soreness, oxidative stress, inflammation,
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1550-2783/7/11
"Consumption of theaflavin-enriched black tea extract led to improved recovery and a reduction in oxidative stress and DOMS responses to acute anaerobic intervals. "

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