When starting a new sport or doing any strenuous exercise, muscle soreness can develop after training. This pain is different from acute muscle pain, which occurs during sports. Muscle soreness usually begins developing 12 to 24 hours after your workout and lasts, on average, 3 to 7 days. They then disappear naturally.
If muscle soreness is getting in the way of daily tasks, it can be relieved using various methods. This includes rest, sleep, hydration, nutrition, massage, and active recovery.
Definition: what is muscle soreness?
Muscle soreness is pain and discomfort that occurs after doing sports or exercises. You can get them by doing any activity or performing an exercise wrongly. Whether it’s weight training, running, swimming, athletics, all team sports (football, basketball, volleyball), or racquet sports (tennis, badminton), you’re bound to experience some form of soreness. This soreness can affect the leg muscles (quadriceps), buttocks, calves, back, shoulders, arms, abs, pectorals, or neck.
Muscle soreness is often frequent at the start of your exercise, especially when you resume it after a long break or an injury recovery. They are also common among beginners starting a new sport or training.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of aches and pain range from simple muscle stiffness, which disappears during daily activities, to severe pain that makes everyday activities difficult.
The most common symptoms include:
- Pain that appears 24-48 hours after training and is localized to the muscle(s) worked
- Swelling of the strained muscle.
- Joint stiffness with loss of range of motion.
- Painful sensitivity of the muscle to palpation.
- Decrease in the strength of muscles for several days.
Should I seek medical attention?
Stiffness does not usually require medical intervention. However, medical attention is recommended if the pain you are experiencing becomes very intense, you experience very bad swelling, or your urine becomes dark.
How does muscle soreness develop?
Soreness develops due to microscopic damage to the muscle fibers under stress during your sport session. It is part of the repair process in response to the muscle damage caused by training, and it is a normal and natural process that occurs in many athletes.
Muscle soreness often occurs because of muscle contractions, which cause the muscle fibers to work harder. This muscle damage triggers inflammation, which aims to repair the damaged tissue.
Treatment of aches and pains
The most recommended treatment for muscle soreness includes:
1) Rest and sleep
You need to rest and get enough sleep when you suffer from muscle soreness, which is the best form of recovery you can give your body. Lack of sleep can disrupt recovery and muscle function and increase the risk of injury.
After your workout sessions, consider getting 7-9 hours of sleep, adopting a sleep routine with regular daily sleep times. This way, you can get good quality, restful sleep and better recover from soreness.
Typically, aches and pains are relieved naturally within 3 to 5 days. During this period, you should not strain your muscles to avoid injury. So, if you have aches and pains, rest for 3 to 5 days and do not do any intensive training. You can do sport by practicing activities that are not very traumatic, and at low intensity, without significant breathlessness.
2) Nutrition
Eating a healthy and balanced meal after sports is integral to a sustainable recovery. This is especially true when you suffer from muscle soreness. Your diet should provide you with enough protein to rebuild damaged muscle fibers. In addition, it should contain a good source of carbohydrates so that you can replenish your energy stores. Finally, it must provide all the nutrients needed for the body to function and contain “anti-inflammatory” foods rich in antioxidants and polyphenols.
Therefore, it is essential to prioritize nutritious foods, such as wholegrain cereals, fruit, vegetables, legumes, meat, fish, eggs, oilseeds, dairy products, etc.
It should be noted that consuming protein powder after sport does not relieve or prevent the onset of muscle soreness.
3) Hydration
Hydration is an essential factor for muscle recovery and good health. As far as muscle soreness is concerned, it does not seem to influence its appearance or relief. However, it does interfere with recovery after exercise. Therefore, you should stay adequately hydrated and drink enough on sore days to meet your needs. However, there is no point in drinking more to relieve your soreness, as this strategy is not practical.
It is also essential to avoid drinking alcohol after sport and in the days following sport, as alcohol increases soreness and pain and disrupts muscle recovery.
4) Active recovery
Active recovery is one of the most effective methods of relieving muscle soreness. Indeed, doing sport with muscle soreness is not contraindicated and even seems beneficial, as long as you do short, low-intensity training.
Different methods are recommended for active recovery:
At the end of the workout, over 15 to 20 minutes, you can do a low-intensity cardio workout that is not breathless and that uses the same muscles trained during your session. For example, cycling for 20 minutes at the end of the exercise is recommended for active recovery if you have done a leg workout.
Active recovery can also be used between intense training sessions to relieve sore muscles and activate blood circulation. For example, you can do 20-30 minutes of low-intensity cardio daily, such as brisk walking, light jogging, swimming, or cycling.
An excellent active recovery session should make your muscles feel more rested for your next workout and help you avoid injury from over-exercising with soreness.
5) Food supplements
Some food supplements, or natural remedies, can be used to relieve aches and pains, including:
- Turmeric
- Tart cherry juice
- Beetroot juice
- Quercetin
- Vitamin D, in case of deficiency
- Omega 3
Also, drinking functional beverages replenishes the body with much-needed nutrients that can help in recovery. These beverages should be consumed after training and on the days that follow.
Supplements have also proven their effectiveness in relieving muscle pain, complementing your daily diet and other recovery techniques.
Specific positive effects on relieving muscle soreness are not superior to other methods. Whether you’re running, jogging, skiing, playing tennis, or basketball- employing various techniques to aid muscle soreness and recovery is fruitful for sustainable health and sports performance. It is, therefore, not a miracle solution to relieve your aches and pains, nor is it a priority.
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