In a 2012 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10 physically active women consumed blueberry smoothies (or similar-calorie placebos) five and 10 hours before performing 300 single-leg extensions on an isokinetic machine. Additional smoothies were ingested immediately post-workout, as well as at 12 and 36 hours later. Researchers assessed recovery and body response, with the participants repeating the process a month later using the opposite leg and consuming placebos if they had initially taken blueberry smoothies. The study revealed that consumption of blueberry smoothies led to faster recovery and reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress.
If that sounds like eating too many blueberries for you, a 2023 article in Scientific Reports found that eating a cup of blueberries every day for 18 days might help as well. A group of non-exercisers consumed the blueberries and then completed a 90-minute cycling event. Compared to the placebo cyclists, the blueberry-eating cyclists saw fewer substances in their bodies that promote inflammation.