Helps Boost Athletic Performance
Garlic has been employed for centuries [12] to combat fatigue and increase work performance. It was common for athletes in ancient Greece to take garlic to enhance their athletic performance.
Most of the evidence of its effectiveness is anecdotal and human studies are limited, but studies in animals have demonstrated garlic’s effectiveness in improving exercise performance. More studies are needed to understand how significant this effect is in humans.
In one study [13], consumption of garlic oil for six weeks helped reduce peak heart rate by 12 percent in people with heart disease. It also helped increase their exercise capacity. Another study [14] also observed that garlic may be useful in reducing fatigue caused by exercise.
With too few studies, it is difficult to know just how much of a performance booster garlic is. A study [15] that examined the effects of garlic on the performance of nine competitive cyclists did not find any performance benefits.