For centuries, ginger root has been used as a folk remedy for a
variety of ailments such as colds and upset stomachs. But now,
researchers at the University of Georgia have found that daily
ginger consumption also reduces muscle pain caused by exercise.
While ginger had been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects
in rodents, its effect on experimentally-induced human muscle
pain was largely unexplored, said Patrick O'Connor, a professor
in the College of Education's department of kinesiology. It was
also believed that heating ginger, as occurs with cooking, might
increase its pain-relieving effects. O'Connor directed two
studies examining the effects of 11 days of raw and heat-treated
ginger supplementation on muscle pain. Collaborators included
Chris Black, an assistant professor of kinesiology at Georgia
College and State University in Milledgeville, UGA doctoral
student Matt Herring and David Hurley, an associate professor of
population health in UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Participants in the