Recovery Optimization with Bromelain

A supplement that many have never heard of or, at the very least, those who have, aren’t exactly sure what it does is bromelain.  If you’ve ever had a surgery or suffered from severe burns, the doctors or hospital may have given you a bromelain supplement.

By nature, Bromelain is a digestive enzyme that comes from pineapple (many call bromelain a “pineapple extract”) and possesses many health and exercise benefits.  On top of helping with healing and digestion, bromelain can help with recovery optimization as well, which makes it a powerful ingredient to help you achieve your fitness and health goals.

It should be noted that while bromelain comes from pineapple, consuming pineapple in your diet, unfortunately, does not exactly yield the same benefits as you would find through an actual concentrated bromelain supplement.

In this article, we will take a deep dive into bromelain and how this enzyme can be of great benefit to you and why you should consider adding it to your supplement regimen.

1.    Improves Recovery

Your ability to effectively break down muscle tissue and have it built back bigger and stronger comes down to a matter of recovery.  Providing your muscles with adequate time to repair itself is vital to the success of promoting hypertrophy (muscle growth).

That said, if your muscle recovery is delayed and draw out, you may only be able to train each muscle group once a week.  Hitting the same muscle group before it’s fully recovered is counterproductive as it’s like taking one step forward and two steps back.  You never want to train a muscle group that has not fully recovered. 

The good news is that bromelain has been found to help improve muscle recovery following exercise.  In a study looking at cyclists, those who supplemented with bromelain were shown to have improved recovery while also decreasing fatigue.

All of that being said and not to go off on a tangent, it’s important to mention that being that bromelain is a digestive enzyme (known as a protease), it plays a crucial role in helping breakdown the protein you consume on a daily basis.  As you know, protein is what helps improve recovery and supports the maintenance and growth of lean muscle tissue.  For those who have issues digesting, absorbing, and utilizing protein, you may find it advantageous to supplement with bromelain to help with digestion of protein so you can reap more of the benefits from the food or protein supplements you use daily.

2.    Reduces inflammation

One of the natural properties of bromelain comes in the form of an anti-inflammatory.  Following any sort of workout or even injury, there will be inflammation in the body (even stress can create inflammation in the body) due to the trauma caused by breaking down the muscle fibers.  Through the supplementation of bromelain, this inflammation can be decreased and even prevented.

The inflammatory response from exercise and intense workouts is what causes muscle soreness and pain – two areas we will also touch on in this article.

3.    Decreases Muscle Soreness 

You’ve experienced it – DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness).  Some people love the feeling as then they know they annihilated their workout and the muscle soreness comes from tearing down the muscle fibers, and then there are those who absolutely hate it, and after every leg day, they look at the stairs as if it’s their worst enemy.   

That being said, there’s no denying the fact that muscle soreness isn’t fun or even enjoyable.  It sort of “is what it is” and comes with the territory of working out and pushing your body to its limits.  Even those who enjoy knowing they’ve effectively broken-down muscle fibers throughout the day are reminded of the soreness as they move around. 

However, there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel.  Bromelain has been found to help decrease DOMS following exercise while also helping the muscles heal faster when compared to a placebo. 

4.    Lessens Pain 

When we suffer from acute pain (such as from an intense workout), some people end up reaching for the Tylenol or preferred choice of painkillers.  While bromelain is not on the same level as an actual painkiller, it does have some properties that help lessen perceived pain.   

It doesn’t merely end with muscle pain either.  If you suffer from sore joints and joint pain, bromelain has been found to help decrease pain and stiffness in the joints as well.

5.    Better Manage Testosterone Levels

As a man, several factors come into play with your testosterone levels.  In fact, it seems like there is more working against you than for you at the end of the day.  Stress, what we eat, how much sleep you get, and your age can all determine if your testosterone levels are being properly managed or if they are decreasing. 

Once you hit the age of 30, your natural testosterone production starts to decline with each passing year.  This can lead to several health risks as well as a loss in muscle tissue (which brings on a whole new host of potential problems).

Researchers looked at two groups of athletes, one that was the control and the second, which used a bromelain supplement.  What they found was that after several days of intense training, the control group had a noticeable decrease in testosterone.  However, the group that supplemented with bromelain was able to maintain healthy testosterone production and levels during the same period.

The great thing about bromelain is that it is not an exogenous form of testosterone, so through supplementing with bromelain, it will not shut down your natural production.  Instead, it will help better manage your natural testosterone production.

Get the Most from Bromelain Supplementation 

While you could utilize a strict bromelain supplement, why not get the biggest bang for your buck and use a supplement that includes bromelain as part of its formula and yield even more significant benefits?  Evogen Nutrition Evogreens is the perfect addition to your supplement regimen.  On top of providing you with six servings of fruits and vegetables per serving, you also get 2 billion CFU probiotics for immune support, 150mg of patented VitaGranate® for cardiovascular health, and bromelain to help with recovery optimization and natural testosterone production. 

Evogen Nutrition Evogreens is part of their Natural Series of products and is available in four delicious flavors – fruit punch, chocolate, berry, and lemon mint.  The product is gluten-free, soy-free, and contains zero synthetic colors, sweeteners, or flavors. 

If you’re looking to improve your health through proper supplementation while also focusing on recovery optimization and testosterone support, look no further than the powerful formulation behind Evogen Nutrition Evogreens – the best tasting greens product on the market!