Muscle pain. How to deal with it?

We all wondered more than once why do muscles hurt after exercise, and is this pain related to muscle growth? I must say that muscle pain is an essential element of any physical program that cannot be avoided. There may be several reasons for post-workout pain. For example, today you are experiencing an increase in the level of physical performance, you are experiencing a surge of energy, and you are exercising longer than usual. And the next day you experience terrible pain in muscles and ligaments. Or, say, you have intensified your workouts, and the muscle tissues of your body do not have time to recover; they just do not have enough time for it. But pain is different: both “good” and “bad”. Muscle pain can occur due to the fact that you really worked hard in training, but often, pain is a signal that your muscles and joints are damaged due to heavy exertion.

Accumulation of lactic acid.

Muscle discomfort during and after exercise is quite natural. Lactic acid, which actively accumulates in the cells of the trained muscles and is a by-product of physiological processes, begins to leave the body, causing similar discomfort. With each repetition during exercise, it becomes more and more. However, the blood flushes lactic acid from the muscle rather quickly – at most, this happens within 24 hours. Scientific studies have shown that these pains are safe, as well as the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles during exercise.

“Delayed” muscle pain.

Why does muscle pain often peak only on the second or third day after training? The reason for such pain is no longer associated with the formation of lactic acid, but with microtraumas of muscle fibers. These micro-injuries are tiny wounds (don’t be alarmed), hence the feeling of pain. Injured muscles encourage the human body to activate its defenses – the secretion of hormones increases. It is during this period that the muscles rapidly get rid of toxins and try to completely restore the damage caused to them. Many believe that muscle soreness after exercise means muscle growth. Far from it! Muscle pain means that something is wrong with the muscle, and the body is in a hurry to notify you as soon as possible.

It should be noted that “lagging” muscle pain weakens over time, that is, after 3-4 workouts, even new exercises do not provoke such muscle pain; and this is not at all proof that the exercise did not bring the desired effect. However, it is not recommended to practice one program for more than two months, it is best to regularly change the load and intensity of training.

Increased muscle reactivity.

Very often, after exhausting and heavy loads in the muscles, the sensitivity of nerve cells and endings sharply sharpens. This condition occurs because the biological relationship between salt and fluid changes in muscle cells. There is a certain imbalance in the body. This can lead not only to pain in the muscles and joints, but also cause cramps in the calf muscles. In this case, experts recommend compensating for the loss of fluid directly during the workouts themselves. Another proven way to quickly get rid of increased muscle reactivity is static stretching before and after all exercises.

Overtraining.

If you regularly experience a feeling of weakness in the muscles, loss of strength, and are unable to exercise as usual, then this is evidence that your body is severely exhausted. From a biochemical point of view, this condition is associated with a negative nitrogen balance in the body. In other words, you are losing a lot more protein than you are gaining. To avoid this, you should regularly take BCAA amino acids (isoleucine, leucine and valine), they are great at helping to reduce the breakdown of protein in the body during intense exercise.

The persistent symptoms of overtraining can lead to serious physiological disruptions in the body, for example, hormonal disruption or decreased immunity. In women, this can lead to such unpleasant consequences as menstrual irregularities, infertility and fragility of the skeletal system. In the “strong half” – to an increase in the level of cartizol and a drop in testosterone in the body. Therefore, the best protection against muscle pain is properly planned training and timely rest.

What can help with muscle pain?

So what to do when your muscles ache unbearably? Muscle pain should not be tolerated or waiting for it to recede on its own. There are many proven ways to relieve pain or relieve it entirely. The most pleasant way is warm baths with sea salt or dry mustard. The water temperature for such baths should not exceed 39 degrees. You can also apply a hot water bottle to the affected area.

Another effective remedy against muscle pain Is a massage. The muscle that causes you discomfort can be massaged in different ways: in a circular motion, tapping your fingers, or stretching from the periphery to the center. In this case, you should not experience any painful sensations. Massage helps to activate the blood flow to the muscles, which leads to the quickest restoration of the acid balance in the body. So, if you like massage – relax and have fun together with benefit! During the massage, you can use special oils, which greatly enhance the effect. It is best to use almond or stone seed oil. Before starting the massage, the oil should be thoroughly warmed up in the hands.

Many athletes find that a good warm-up before starting a workout and a “cool down” after it can significantly reduce the unpleasant pain that awaits you in the following days. And some athletes act on the principle of “knocking out a wedge with a wedge”: they perform light physical exercises, despite the pain. As a result, the body heats up and the state of discomfort is reduced to a minimum.

As for all kinds of ointments, balms and gels, which are actively advertised today. I must say that these drugs relieve pain only for a while. They usually include special astringents that work on pain receptors, or topical anti-inflammatory drugs that will relieve your general condition, but this will not be as effective as you would like. Ointments and balms containing a large amount of salicylates (anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs) have a strong anti-inflammatory effect.

And remember, pain is far from a measure of muscle growth. On the contrary, if you regularly experience severe muscle pain after training, you should think about reducing the load and the intensity of training. In any case, the trained muscle group should feel comfortable for at least a couple of days before starting classes. Then you can be sure that she will have enough strength and time not only to recover, but also to add in growth.