Every supplement, greens powder, and random wellness ad screams ANTI-INFLAMMATORY. It’s the health world’s favorite buzzword.
Even this blog was inspired by my mom constantly sending me “anti inflammatory recipes” (she sends them almost as often as cat videos). One day I finally asked her, “Wait… do we even know what inflammation actually is?” We both paused. We knew it was supposed to be “bad”, but beyond that? Not much.
Then what even is inflammation in the first place?
So, before we all keep chasing “anti-inflammatory everything,” let’s talk about what is actually going on in your body because spoiler alert: not all inflammation is bad.
Think about how your body feels after a heavy lift, hard game, or a solid turf burn. The next day, you’re sore, maybe swollen, and really not wanting to start another day of practice. Believe it or not, that is your body doing its job.
Inflammation is basically your body’s alarm and repair system. When something’s damaged, like a muscle tear, bruise, or stress, your immune cells rush in like athletic trainers after a collision. They clear out the damage, bring supplies, and start rebuilding what broke down.
At it’s best, inflammation helps you: recover stronger, adapt to training, and stay healthy after all the germs you share with your team.
The problem? When that system doesn’t shut off. That is when acute inflammation shifts from helpful to harmful. It is like when your body’s fire alarm just keeps blaring even after the smoke is gone. That constant low-level buzz of stress is what we call chronic inflammation and is what tanks recovery, wrecks sleep, and slow performance.
When your body detects stress or injury, it sends out chemical “SOS” messages, cytokines, that call in your immune cells. Blood vessels open up to allow oxygen to rush in, and your body is in full clean up mode.
If everything goes right, inflammation turns off, tissues rebuild, and you come back stronger.
If it doesn’t? Chronic inflammation sticks around thanks to factors like stress, poor diet, under-fueling, or pushing through too many two-a-days without real rest.
Here is the funny part: you need inflammation to adapt. I don’t care how fast you are, there is no out running inflammation if you are training to your full potential.
The soreness after training is not punishment or a sign you are getting too old- it is your body getting better at what you asked it it do.
When you lift, sprint, or play your sport, tiny micro-tears form in your muscles. Immune cells rush in, clean up the damage, and trigger repair and regrowth. That is how muscles get stronger.
The goal isn’t to erase inflammation- it’s to help your body finish the job.
Anti-inflammatory foods like tart cherry juice, salmon, and turmeric don’t “stop” inflammation, they balance it. They help your body recover without shutting down the growth process.
Research backs this up time and time again:
On the flip side, high-dose vitamin pills and constant NSAID use? They can actually block the same pathways that help you adapt and get stronger. So yes, balance matters. Your body is smarter than those over priced (and a little sketchy?) supplement labels.
It’s not about going full annoying wellness-guru. It’s about giving your body what it needs so inflammation can do its thing, then move on.
When you fuel right, sleep enough, and actually recover, inflammation becomes one of your biggest assets and not your enemy.
Remember: it is not about avoiding inflammation, it is about respecting it. You cannot grow stronger without breaking down first, inflammation is how your body makes that transformation.
