Effects of Non-Alcoholic Beer after Running in Three Consecutive Days on Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Muscle Damage Biomarkers

Running recovery is challenging for several body systems and can be improved by nutritional focus. Non-alcoholic beer is a widely used post-exercise beverage for its antioxidant and energetic properties. After three consecutive days of 1 h submaximal running (80% HRmax), antioxidant enzyme activity (glutathione peroxidase [GPx], glutathione reductase [GR], catalase), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity as a muscle damage blood marker, and lower limb thermographic values were determined in order to observe possible changes in 20 subjects divided into two groups: control (n = 10) and NAB (n = 10). NAB drank 10 mL/kg of non-alcoholic beer post-exercise (both groups drank water ad libitum). Non-alcoholic beer did not show statistically significant changes compared to water. Regarding the effect size, the NAB group had a medium increase in thermography values (15 & PRIME;Post-15 & PRIME;Pre) on days 1 and 2 compared to the control group; a large increase in LDH activity (both 60 & PRIME;Post-0 & PRIME;Post and 60 & PRIME;Post-Pre) on day 2, and a medium increase (60 & PRIME;Post-0 & PRIME;Post) on day 3; a medium decrease in GR (60 & PRIME;Post-Pre) on days 1 and 3; and a large (60 & PRIME;Post-0 & PRIME;Post) and medium (60 & PRIME;Post-Pre) decrease in GPx on day 3. These findings support the idea that non-alcoholic beer is not an appropriate recovery beverage after 1 h running for three consecutive days.