Sore muscles are a given for anyone who gets involved in physical activity.
People who are just beginning a workout plan and those who have been exercising for years can feel the burn equally, due to delayed onset muscle soreness. It’s not a bad thing; it simply means your muscles are getting stronger.
After participating in some kind of strenuous physical activity, particularly something new to your body, it is common to experience muscle soreness, say experts.
“Muscles go through quite a bit of physical stress when we exercise,” said Rick Sharp, professor of exercise physiology at Iowa State University in Ames. “Mild soreness is just a natural outcome of any kind of physical activity. And they’re most prevalent in beginning stages of a program.”
Delayed onset muscle soreness is not the burn you might feel while exercising or running. That’s called acute muscle soreness. Delayed soreness can be felt the day after a workout, and stems from microscopic tears in muscle fibers and connective tissues. The ache usually happens when you are just beginning an exercise plan or if you step up the intensity of a workout.
You have options to help ease muscle pain. There are many good options out there to consider like stretching, upping your water intake and a warm Epsom salt bath. But, when these trusted methods just don’t do the trick, consider branched-chain amino acids.
According to Healthline, there are around 20 different amino acids that make up the different proteins in a human body and about nine of those are considered to be essential amino acids, meaning they cannot be made by your body and must be obtained through your diet. And only three of those nine essential amino acids are the BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine.
An all-natural way to obtain these BCAAs that aid in muscle recovery are protein-rich foods like eggs, dairy products and lean meats. BCAAs may lead to decrease muscle soreness by helping to reduce the damage caused by exercising muscles. Healthline noted a 2017 study that found that milk protein supplementation could help with muscle soreness and strength in exercise-induced muscle trauma.
Milk protein concentrate is a concentrated milk product that contains 40 – 90% milk protein. It’s used in protein-fortified foods and beverages, but can also be bought in powdered form at health food retailers.
Also consider applying heat immediately after exercising can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, according to Healthline. One 2013 study found that while both dry and moist heat helped with pain, moist heat was shown to offer even more pain reduction.
Excellent ways to enjoy moist heat therapy after exercise include:
- Warm damp towels
- Wet heating packs
- A warm bath
After you heat things up, you should turn to cold muscle therapy, which is said to relieve pain in the muscles and joints by reducing swelling and nerve activity.
The best methods of cold therapy include applying an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables (frozen peas can adapt to curved body parts easily) but soaking in a cold bath could be more helpful. Just remember to never apply ice directly on the skin.
Another way to treat sore muscles is by massage. If you don’t want to pay for a massage, try foam rolling. Foam rolling is a type of self-myofascial release which is a technical term for releasing muscle tightness with self-massage. Research has found that foam rolling can relieve delayed onset muscle soreness, according to Healthline. It may also help with muscle fatigue and flexibility.
To foam roll, you place the roller (which can be purchased in sporting goods sections of stores) on the floor underneath the sore muscle and slowly roll your body over it. You can search online for videos on how to foam roll for different muscle groups.
Whatever you do, don’t stop exercising because you have muscle soreness. Muscle soreness is a natural process that helps your body get used to the exercise. Once you induce this soreness, it won’t happen again unless you increase the intensity. If the pain is severe, exercise at a lower intensity or switch to another muscle group for a day or two.
Prepare your body for exercise by getting in an adequate warm-up and cool down every time. Learn proper form and stick to a routine that gradually increases in intensity and duration to lessen soreness and reduce your risk of injury.
Moderate doses of caffeine may cut your post-workout pain down by almost 50%, so go ahead and have a cup of coffee before your workout. Just remember to hydrate with water afterward. Staying hydrated can also help reduce muscle soreness.
