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Muscle pain after exercise: how to get rid of the pain? Video
Muscle pain after exercise is often referred to as good pain because it indicates that you did a good job to keep yourself in shape. But no matter how good it is, pain remains pain, and it is advisable to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Muscle pain after exercise
Pain that occurs in overworked muscles and lasts 12 to 48 hours after exercise is called dyspnea. It occurs due to microscopic tears in muscle tissue. Previously, it was thought that the cause of DOMS is the accumulation of lactic acid in the tissues, but modern research does not support this theory.
Muscle pain is a signal from the body that it needs rest to recover.
How to prevent muscle pain
There are several ways, if not avoiding muscle pain after exercise, then making it less painful and lasting. So, compulsory warm-up and stretching will help avoid injury and reduce soreness. Keeping muscles in good shape, but at the same time strengthening them without unnecessary pain, also helps the alternation of “hard” and “light” exercises.
Surprisingly, coffee can help reduce muscle soreness. Athletes say that just two cups of coffee before a workout can reduce fatigue and pain by several times.
Take vitamins, antioxidants, and special supplements for athletes. Eminent trainers recommend L-Glutamine, L-Arginine, Betaine, and Taurine, which may also help promote muscle recovery.
A balanced diet can prevent unnecessary muscle soreness. When the body lacks nutrients, muscle fibers weaken and break from the slightest exertion.
If you are involved in sports, especially weight training, you should not go on diets, eat rationally, not forgetting about protein-rich foods, vegetables and fruits.
The easiest way to relieve pain, including muscle pain, is to take pain relievers. Previously, analgesics (analgin, aspirin) were used for this purpose. Sports medicine professionals now recommend nonsteroidal drugs such as ibuprofen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol), which, although not anti-inflammatory, has analgesic properties, is helpful for those who have stomach problems from the above drugs. You can also use various topical products – creams and gels that contain menthol, capsaicin, methyl salicylate. However, you should not use pain relievers on an ongoing basis, as the drugs can affect the muscle’s ability to heal itself.
Don’t take pain relievers before training. By masking the symptoms, you may not feel the approach of serious injury.
Massage eases muscle pain by increasing the action of neutrophils to reduce inflammation. Massage also increases the number of mitochondria in the muscle, which increases its ability to scavenge oxygen. If you do not have the opportunity to use the services of a massage therapist, engage in self-massage, knead the muscles with your fingers, palms, knuckles. Start massaging above and below the injured muscle, and then move directly to it. A special massage roller or massage mat will help you achieve good results; a hydromassage bath will serve as an excellent remedy for tired muscles.
Warm water will relax tense muscles and improve blood circulation. The normal blood flow to the muscles will allow them to receive more oxygen and nutrients for recovery. Ice, on the other hand, reduces blood flow, but it relieves pain and reduces inflammation. Both heat and cold relieve muscle spasms. For best results, you can alternate between cold and warm showers, gently massaging the sore muscle with it.
Place a few scoops of baking soda in a warm bath that you can take to reduce muscle soreness after exercise. It will help remove toxins from the body.
After your workout day, be sure to get some sleep. Sleep should take at least 8-10 hours. It is during sleep that the body produces hormones important for recovery, reducing night rest, you slow down the body’s “repair” work, prevent it from getting rid of toxins and build muscle mass.
Rest the strained muscle for 1 to 2 days. This will not only avoid unnecessary pain, but also reduce the likelihood of injury. Athletes who train every day alternate loads on different muscle groups.
Products to help relieve pain
Some foods contain the antioxidant compound anthocyanins, which can help reduce inflammation. Drink cherry, grape, cranberry juice after training, eat blueberries, blackberries, black currants, and you will quickly feel relief.
Joint pain is a serious problem and can lead to various injuries that can become critical. It is important not to confuse muscle and joint pain. It is also worth remembering that chronic overuse can lead to severe muscle damage. If the pain persists within 72 hours, you should see a doctor.
What to do for muscle pain: expert advice
First you need to figure out what the pain is associated with after training. During intense movements, glycogen is depleted in the muscles and micro-ruptures appear. Glycogen is energy, and in order to replenish it, we need enough carbohydrates, plus proteins to help heal micro-muscle breakdowns.
Therefore, focus on foods high in carbohydrates and proteins: low-fat dairy products, eggs, red or white fish, error, quinoa, fresh vegetables… Taking them will help prevent muscle protein breakdown.
Also, pay attention to parsley, kiwi, spinach, Nuts, pulse и bananas… They contain a large amount of vitamins C, E, B, magnesium, potassium and zinc, which, in turn, can reduce muscle discomfort.
For many, it will be surprising to learn that “muscle building” does not occur during training, but during sleep. Therefore, to recover, go to bed before midnight, taking 7-8 hours to sleep.
Plus, from the stiffness of movements after a hard training, a light jog with a low heart rate the next day or a set of mobility exercises will help. So we increase the flow of blood to the muscles and speed up the metabolism between them.
Information sources
1. Ekaterina Demidova, master trainer of X-Fit group programs in Russia; .
2.