Peppermint is a great natural pre- and post-workout supplement for athletes. Eat peppermint, inhale, or massage muscle with peppermint essential oil to:
- increase energy
- relieve muscle pain
- promote muscle recovery
- delay fatigue
Peppermint oil is good for sport performance
Peppermint essential oil is rich in menthol (~30%) and menthone (20-30%). According to studies, peppermint essential oil can help athletes improve their sport performance (1).
Actually, peppermint oil has painkilling, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antioxidant, and vasoconstrictor effects.
Therefore, peppermint is promising as a natural pre-workout or post-workout supplement. Peppermint oil could relax bronchial muscles, increase the oxygen concentration in the brain, and decrease the blood lactate level.
Peppermint oil for cardio
In a study, athletes ran for 15-minutes. Runners who inhaled peppermint aroma, before exercise, performed better. It seems that the inhalation of peppermint aroma improves the lung capacity and inhalation ability.
Peppermint is a great natural pre-workout supplement for cardio, as it increases nasal airflow, supplying more oxygen to the brain. That’s beneficial for cardio exercises, such as running.
Furthermore, peppermint essential oil is good for athletes, as it helps people tolerate pain. Maybe it’s a good idea to have a massage with peppermint essential oil before a long run. Peppermint oil may delay the feeling of pain and fatigue, due to decreased blood lactate levels.
Moreover, you could massage your muscles with peppermint essential oil after a long run, or a strenuous workout. Peppermint extract has powerful analgesic effect.
Peppermint before exercise may boost energy
Moreover, peppermint is good for athletes because it’s involved in carb metabolism. In fact, peppermint improves muscular energy metabolism. Scientists observed great results, just after 10 days of peppermint supplementation.
Other natural supplements for athletes
Other great natural supplements for athletes are:
- moringa powder is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.
- amla powder is the richest supplement in antioxidants. Antioxidants can neutralize exercise-induces free radicals. Amla may help athletes recover faster.
- bromelain protects from joint pain.
- maca root powder is rich in protein and promotes muscle recovery.
How to use peppermint as a pre-workout supplement?
There are many ways to use peppermint. You could:
- eat peppermint. It provides unique flavor to recipes and boosts the antioxidant status of the body.
- inhale peppermint essential oil before running or exercising. The easiest way is to inhale it directly out of the bottle. You can also use a diffuser.
- massage the skin with a diluted oil. Peppermint essential oil can relieve muscle pain. Add some drops of peppermint essential oil to a carrier oil before use.
