Effects of Non-Alcoholic Beer after Running in Three Consecutive Days on Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Muscle Damage Biomarkers

TL;DR: The idea that non-alcoholic beer is not an appropriate recovery beverage after 1 h running for three consecutive days supports the idea that running recovery can be improved by nutritional focus.

Abstract: Running recovery is challenging for several body systems and can be improved by nutritional focus. Non-alcoholic beer is a widely used post-exercise beverage for its antioxidant and energetic properties. After three consecutive days of 1 h submaximal running (80% HRmax), antioxidant enzyme activity (glutathione peroxidase [GPx], glutathione reductase [GR], catalase), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity as a muscle damage blood marker, and lower limb thermographic values were determined in order to observe possible changes in 20 subjects divided into two groups: control (n = 10) and NAB (n = 10). NAB drank 10 mL/kg of non-alcoholic beer post-exercise (both groups drank water ad libitum). Non-alcoholic beer did not show statistically significant changes compared to water. Regarding the effect size, the NAB group had a medium increase in thermography values (15′Post-15′Pre) on days 1 and 2 compared to the control group; a large increase in LDH activity (both 60′Post-0′Post and 60′Post-Pre) on day 2, and a medium increase (60′Post-0′Post) on day 3; a medium decrease in GR (60′Post-Pre) on days 1 and 3; and a large (60′Post-0′Post) and medium (60′Post-Pre) decrease in GPx on day 3. These findings support the idea that non-alcoholic beer is not an appropriate recovery beverage after 1 h running for three consecutive days.