Are you just enrolled in gym classes and struggling with Muscle soreness? Want to know, is muscle soreness a serious problem? Well, this guide has something to offer you.
Muscle soreness after a workout indicates that you are getting used to the routine. It is a sign that shows that new muscle mass is building in your body.Muscle soreness after workout indicates that you are getting used to the routine. It is a sign that shows that new muscle mass is building in your body.
Generally, if muscle soreness occurs after a work out is nothing to worry about. But sometimes it can be quite painful and decrease your working efficiency.
So, what can be done to boost the recovery of your muscles? This article covers everything necessary you need to know about muscles soreness and what can be done to relieve the pain if your muscles are sore. Let’s dig in!
Following is the list of all the things you must know about sore muscles:
1- What is muscle soreness?
First things, first! Muscle soreness is a medical condition which occurs when you put stress on your muscles beyond their limits. It usually occurs after a heavy work out or during the initial days of exercising when your body is getting used to it.
Usually,pain due to muscle soreness goes away after a day or two.But if it stays longer and is becoming a source of extreme discomfort,you should see a doctor.
2- How manyTypes of Muscles Soreness are out there?
There are two types of muscle soreness:
Acute Muscle Soreness (AMS)
AMS, also known as immediate muscle soreness, is the type of pain you feel during or right after strenuous activity. It can go away in 2 to 3 minutes or after a few hours if you take some rest.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
It is the muscle pain that starts after 12 to 24 hours of a workout and can last upto 3 to 4 days. With some rest and care, it should go away in 2 to 3 days.
Sometimes, you can experience both depending upon the intensity of the activity or workout you are doing.
3- How does Muscle soreness occur?
When you do exercise, your muscles become deficient of oxygen. Your muscle switches to anaerobic oxidation to get more energy, which results in the formation of lactic acid. The formation of lactic acid is responsible for the pain and soreness in your muscles.
Once your body converts all the lactic acid present in the body into energy, your pain and soreness will go away.
4- How much muscle soreness is right?
Although muscle soreness is nothing to worry, you should be careful. Pay attention to the signs when pain in your muscles is becomingunbearable. If you are unable to do your routine work due to extreme pain in muscles, you should take some rest.
Take a break from the strenuous activities or your workout for some days and let your body heal itself. If the soreness and pain are still not going away, see a doctor as a precaution.
5- Difference between muscle injury and muscle soreness
It is essential to know the difference between muscle injury and muscle pain. Because if you ignore the muscle pain, thinking it is just muscle soreness, your injury might get worse and painful.
The fundamental difference is that; soreness occurs after 1 to 2 days after exercise, while if your muscle got injured, you would feel pain right away. The pain that results from injury will be so extreme that you will not be able to continue your exercise. But the soreness results in a slight feeling of discomfort which will go away after a few hours.
6- Medicines to treat muscle soreness
Although, when you get used to the exercise, you will not feel any problems related to muscle soreness. But if you want some help with the pain, there are many over the counter medicines that can help you in relieving the pain and discomfort. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen are one of them.
While taking NSAIDs, you should be careful because even a small amount of drug can increase the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding, strokes and bleeding. So, if you are an ulcer patient, you should take acetaminophen, because it does not pose any of the above-mentioned side effects.
7- Incorporate Anti-inflammatory Foods in your Diet
Some evidence has suggested that inflammation of muscles can be the reason for soreness in muscles. The stretching of tiny fibres that are present in muscles causes inflammation.
Eating food that is rich in anti-inflammatory components can help in healing the soreness of muscles naturally and quickly. Some of the fruits and vegetables that are anti-inflammatory in nature are:
- Pineapple
- Cherries
- Watermelon
- Turmeric
- Garlic
- Ginger
8- Do Some Preparation Before your workouts
Preparing yourself before an exercise is the best way to prevent muscle soreness. Prepare your body by doing some warmup before exercise. Always make sure to take your water bottle with you. Drink 3 to 4 sips after 20 or 30 minutes. Drinking plenty of water is the best way to prevent your muscles from getting sore.
Stick to your routine but if you want to upgrade your workout, try to do it gradually. It is also suggested that caffeine can also alleviate the post work out the pain.
9- Get help from Heat or Ice Packs
Heat and ice packs both are equally good options if you want to have instant relief from post work out the pain. You can use an ice or heat pack as per your convenience.
Ice helps in reduction of inflammation that can sometimes occur concomitantly with muscle soreness. In comparison, heat can help by reducing stress and pain signals.
Wrapping Up
Muscle soreness is no big deal most of the times. In fact, it is the sign that your body is reacting to all the hard work you are doing to make it better. By taking the right precautions before a workout or some heavy work can markedly reduce the chances of your muscle soreness. So, keep all the tips mentioned in this article, in your mind and keep doing your exercise without any worry.
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