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Muscle soreness

The ache that arrives a day or two after unfamiliar exercise, called delayed-onset muscle soreness. It is measured on a visual analogue scale at fixed hours afterwards, and by pressure pain threshold.

17 supplements analyzed and ranked by clinical evidence.

Supplements17

Supplement Evidence

Essential Amino Acids
Strong

Muscle soreness ↓13 mm

Muscle soreness ↓

2629 studies·19 benefits
Glucosamine
Strong

Pain/function −50%

Soreness relief longer

Responder rate +24%

234 studies·8 benefits
L-Carnitine
Moderate

Muscle damage/soreness ↓

Pain/soreness ↓ 21.8%

465 studies·19 benefits
Electrolytes
Moderate

Lower soreness, CK

Pain threshold +

6567 studies·14 benefits
Nitrate
Moderate

Soreness ↓, PPT +4%

Soreness ↓, performance preserved

DOMS ↓, VO2max +5.2

984 studies·12 benefits
Type-II Collagen
Moderate

Pain ↓; function ↑

CTX-II ↓; soreness ↓

281 studies·9 benefits
Palmitoylethanolamide
Moderate

Pain reduction

Inflammation/function

46 studies·18 benefits
Ginger
Moderate

Pain -25%

Soreness d≈-0.7

236 studies·18 benefits
Glycine
Weak

RFD, decel impulse

Opioids -31%

913 studies·17 benefits
Ornithine
Weak

Less catabolism, better balance

Burn healing 23.7 vs 39.9

115 studies·14 benefits
Whey Protein
Weak

Whey: lower soreness

-CK, less DOMS

Omega-3+whey: less soreness

662 studies·17 benefits
Branched-Chain Amino Acids
Weak

Less soreness, CK↓

Soreness↓, recovery↑

1422 studies·10 benefits
ATP
Weak

Less soreness; pain/opioids

Strength up; no number

761 studies·11 benefits
HMB
Weak

Less CK, soreness

Better strength recovery

132 studies·13 benefits
Devil's Claw
Weak

Pain ↓; threshold ↑

Stiffness ↓

2 studies·9 benefits
Citrulline
Weak

Less soreness

~40% soreness drop

Soreness reduced, performance up

Soreness ↓; force maintained

+53% reps; soreness ↓

Soreness ↓

230 studies·13 benefits
Leucine
Weak

Reduced soreness; no detail

Lower soreness, +5% strength

392 studies·17 benefits