antioxidant · for slow recovery
Lycopene
An antioxidant, so the theory is it blunts the damage hard downhill running does to muscle.
Say that in clinical terms
As an antioxidant, lycopene is hypothesized to blunt the oxidative-stress and membrane-damage cascade that eccentric/downhill exercise triggers in muscle tissue.
How strong is the research?
Evidence evidence
Only one studyIndustry fundedLow-quality evidence
1 paper read, 1 supporting.
Tested as: tomato-extract complex providing 11 mg lycopene (plus phytoene and phytofluene) daily for 4 weeks before a 2-hour high-intensity run with downhill sections, in trained runners
How much to take
11 mg