Lemon Verbena May Help Athletes Recover More Quickly, Sleep Better

Long recovery times after a workout can hinder athletes in their fitness goals. A recent study suggests that a lemon verbena supplement may help athletes sleep better, reduce muscle pain, and improve recovery time.

Participants in the study included 26 athletes who were given 1.2 g of the lemon verbena extract or a placebo daily for 21 days. They were quizzed daily in order to assess their feelings of recovery after a night of sleep and they were given a “Profile of Mood States” test weekly. The researchers also performed blood tests to measure markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that the supplement group had a 44% improvement in quality of sleep, when compared with the placebo group. They also had significantly lower markers of oxidative stress inflammation in their blood, including protein carbonlys, malondialdehyde and myeloperoxide.

Researchers from the University Miguel Hernandez of Elche in Spain conducted the study. It will be published in an upcoming issue of Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research.

Lemon verbena is a flowering plant that has been traditionally used in folk medicine as a diuretic, a gout remedy and to treat inflammation of the liver and spleen. Previous studies have found that it is useful for digestive disorders, agitation, joint pain, insomnia, asthma, cold, fever, and skin conditions.