An endurance sports nutrition recipe to help boost muscle recovery

Sure, you deserve dessert—especially when your 10K training, marathon training, or triathlon training kicks into high gear. But do yourself a favor and indulge in a dessert that can also help you feel better during your next workout.

Kimberly Day, a triathlete and Founder/Chief Decadence Officer of Decadent Health LLC (www.decadenthealth.com), has created the following dessert featuring pomegranate juice and blueberries, which are loaded with antioxidants. Why do you, as an endurance athlete, need those antioxidants? Because during intense and prolonged exercise, the muscles produce large amounts of free radicals—unstable oxygen molecules that cause fatigue and post-exercise muscle soreness. Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize free radicals and counteract these effects. So dig into the following dessert knowing that it’ll both satisfy your sweet tooth and help promote muscle recovery.

Blueberry Pomegranate Sorbet
Makes 6 servings

¾ cup xylitol
½ cup filtered water
2 cups pure pomegranate juice
1 cup fresh, puréed blueberries

1. Combine xylitol and water in saucepan and stir over medium heat until xylitol dissolves.
2. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
3. Cool completely.
4. Whisk in pomegranate juice and puréed blueberries.
5. Place in ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, place in freezer-safe container, and freeze.

Nutritional Info (per serving): Calories 196, Total fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbs 67 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 1 g