While NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire has dealt with more than a few injuries in his career he worked his way back to regular play last season. When the Knicks went off to training camp earlier this month Amar’e declared that his body was in great shape. According to a story at ESPN, it turns out that one of the keys to his recovery is wine. We’re not talking about the health benefits that drinking moderate amounts of wine paired with exercise provide. Amar’e has been practicing vinotherapy — in other words he’s been bathing in wine:
There are spas that provide vinotherapy or vinotherapie. According to the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa in the renowned Plaza Hotel in New York City, “Grape polyphenols fight against free radicals, which cause 80 percent of skin aging. … In addition to their exceptional antioxidant power, polyphenols reinforce microcirculation, protect elastin and collagen fibers and prevent the destruction of the fundamental elements of the skin’s support tissues.”
Stoudemire, 31, said the wine baths are mixed with water, but the majority is wine. He follows up a bath treatment with a 90-minute massage. Stoudemire also moves between a variety of tubs at different temperatures.
“Also, you have the ancient tub, so you have like a salt tub and a hot tub and a cold plunge and a pool,” Stoudemire said. “And you just kind of mix it all up.”
Amar’e posted a picture of one of his vinotherapy therapy sessions to his Instagram account:
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Recovery Day! Red Wine Bath !! #Kinging #Blessed #Hebrews Getting ready for the eighth day feast.
So does it work? Amar’e says yes!
When asked if he has felt a difference, Stoudemire pointed to the fact he played in the Knicks’ three preseason games from Saturday to Tuesday.
Stoudemire, who is entering his 13th season, logged 15 minutes in a win over Boston on Saturday in Connecticut. On Monday, he played 15 minutes against the Raptors at home before logging 21 minutes the next night against the 76ers in Syracuse. He had a total of 14 points and 14 rebounds in the three games.
“Well, yesterday I felt great,” Stoudemire said of how he felt during the team’s day off Wednesday. “And after doing that recovery day, my legs felt rejuvenated. I felt great, so I’m going to continue to do that for sure.”
All this talk of wine based therapy got us wondering what sort of wine Amar’e is bathing in. ESPN thought to ask as well:
When asked whether the wine he bathed in was quality wine, Stoudemire laughed.
“I hope so,” he said. “I don’t know. I haven’t tasted it.”
What can’t wine do?
