Victor Forge
Sore muscles are a common occurrence after exercise, particularly after trying a new form of exercise or increasing intensity. This is due to strain and micro-tearing at the cellular level, which can cause muscle soreness and inflammation. While it is a natural process that indicates your muscles are getting stronger, there are ways to prevent and treat muscle soreness. This includes warming up, cooling down, and stretching, as well as incorporating foam rolling, massage, and healthy anti-inflammatory foods into your routine. Additionally, adequate rest, hydration, and nutrition are key to muscle recovery.
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What You'll Learn
Warm-up and cool-down routines
Warm-up Routine:
- Begin with a 5- to 10-minute low-intensity version of your chosen exercise, such as slow jogging or cycling. This helps increase your heart rate and breathing gradually, preparing your body for more strenuous activity.
- Focus on large muscle groups first. For example, start with leg exercises like lunges or squats, then move to the upper body with arm circles or shoulder stretches.
- Include dynamic stretches that mimic the movements in your workout. For instance, if you're going for a run, try dynamic leg stretches like lunges with twists or leg swings.
- Ensure your warm-up is tailored to your main activity. If you're playing a sport, incorporate sport-specific movements, such as dribbling a ball or practising shot motions.
- Gradually increase the intensity of your warm-up exercises to match the demands of your upcoming workout. This helps improve blood flow to your muscles, ensuring they receive ample oxygen and are ready for action.
Cool-down Routine:
- Slow down the intensity of your activity gradually. For example, if you were running, slow down to a walk, and then to a gentle stroll.
- Spend 5 to 10 minutes stretching your muscles. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, focusing on the muscles you primarily worked out. For example, stretch your hamstrings and quadriceps after a run.
- Ensure your stretches are strong but not painful. You should feel tension in the targeted muscle group, but there should be no sharp or sudden pain.
- Breathe properly during your stretches. Exhale as you stretch and inhale while holding the stretch. This helps calm your body and mind.
- Consider including moderate-intensity cycling after strength exercises to help reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
Remember, warming up prepares your body for physical activity, enhancing performance and reducing the risk of injury. Cooling down, on the other hand, initiates the recovery process, helping your body gradually return to its pre-exercise state and reducing muscle soreness.
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Hydration and nutrition
Adequate hydration and nutrition are key to muscle recovery and reducing soreness. Water helps control your body temperature, loosen your joints, and transport nutrients to create energy. Without water, your body will struggle to perform at its highest level, and you may experience muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness, or more serious symptoms. It is recommended to drink 1.5 litres of water for every kg lost during exercise, or roughly 3 cups of fluid for every pound lost.
Cherry juice has also been found to reduce inflammation, muscle damage, and soreness, and support muscle recovery. A healthy diet is also important to ensure you do not develop any nutrient deficiencies that may impair your muscles' ability to recover. Foods with anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce pain and alleviate discomfort. These include tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fatty fish like salmon and tuna, and fruits (especially berries).
In addition to hydration and nutrition, there are other strategies to reduce muscle soreness. For example, light exercise, such as walking or a bike ride, in the days following a challenging workout can help. It is also important to warm up before exercise by increasing blood flow to the muscles through light versions of certain exercises, such as slow jogging, jumping rope, or lifting light weights. Static stretching, or holding a stretch without movement, can be done before exercise but is most important after activity to aid in recovery. Kinetic stretching, or warming up muscles with movement, is also beneficial.
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Massage and foam rolling
Foam rolling can be performed pre-workout and/or post-workout with different effects depending on the timing. It is a good accompaniment to physical therapy and is often prescribed by physical therapists as part of customized treatment plans. It can be used to open up the chest, relieve tension in the shoulders and back, and improve posture and breathing.
Foam rolling for 20 minutes post-exercise can help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It is also beneficial for multijoint dynamic measures but not for isometric and single-joint exercises. It is important to note that foam rolling is not always appropriate for everyone, and if you have an acute injury, a muscle/tendon tear, fracture, or other conditions/injuries, then it may not be suitable.
Massage is another intervention technique commonly used to prevent and alleviate DOMS. It may reduce the pain associated with DOMS, but it is unclear whether it improves muscular function after DOMS. Warm underwater jet massage, for example, has been shown to be beneficial for continuous jumping power during a week of intense training.
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Stretching and light exercise
Stretching is an important recovery step in reducing muscle soreness and preventing injuries. Muscles that are tight cannot effectively react to changes in exercise or intensity, but stretching before a workout can help muscles move more effectively.
Static stretching, or holding a stretch without movement, can be done before exercise, but is most important after a workout. Kinetic stretching, or warming up muscles with movement, is also beneficial. The key to these stretches is to be gentle, move slowly, and only apply enough force so you begin to feel the muscle groups responding. The aim is to aid recovery from muscle soreness without causing further discomfort.
Gentle stretching, done immediately after exercise, will help reduce lactic acid and aid recovery. Stretching aching muscles will boost blood flow and help break down the build-up of lactic acid. The stretches should be very gentle, to avoid inflicting further damage to the muscle groups. If any stretching causes acute pain, stop and rest.
One large study showed that stretching before and after exercise reduced peak soreness over a one-week period by, on average, four points on a 100-point scale. This effect, though statistically significant, is very small. Light exercise, such as walking, is also a good way to reduce muscle soreness.
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Salt baths and pain relievers
Epsom salt baths have been used for hundreds of years to ease aches and pains. A warm bath with Epsom salts can help relax your muscles, reduce swelling, and relieve pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and various other causes. The theory is that when you soak in an Epsom salt bath, the magnesium and sulfate are absorbed into your body through the skin, which may help to relax muscles and relieve pain. While there is little evidence to support the claim that Epsom salt baths provide any real benefit, they are still a relaxing way to soothe sore muscles.
If you are experiencing mild discomfort due to sore muscles, it is recommended to allow your body to recover on its own without the use of medications or supplements. However, if you are in need of fast relief, you can take a pain reliever. While this won't speed up the muscle-healing process, it can help you manage the discomfort. Common pain relievers for muscle soreness include Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), diclofenac, or naproxen (Aleve). It is important to note that these drugs may "'dampen' your body's healing response or 'numb' an actual injury, so it is recommended to consult with your doctor before taking any medications. As an alternative to NSAIDs, Dr. Zalamea recommends taking acetaminophen for occasional pains after workouts, as it has fewer effects on the kidneys.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscle soreness is common after exercise, especially if you're trying a new workout or increasing intensity. To improve muscle soreness, you can try the following:
- Warm up before exercising.
- Stay hydrated.
- Get adequate rest.
- Stretch before and after your workout.
- Incorporate foam rolling into your routine.
- Take pain relievers.
- Eat an anti-inflammatory diet.
Anti-inflammatory foods include tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fatty fish like salmon and tuna, and fruits, especially berries.
Aside from diet, you can try massage therapy, compression garments, and cryotherapy. Massage has been shown to improve flexibility and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.
Muscle soreness may improve quickly or last several days. In some cases, discomfort may peak 48 to 72 hours after your workout.
If your muscle soreness is accompanied by a very high fever or difficulty breathing, seek immediate medical attention. If the soreness is due to an injury that is causing significant pain, restricting movement, or not improving, it is advisable to see a doctor.
