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How does sore muscles come about?
For a long time it was thought that sore muscles were caused by the lactate (lactic acid) produced during training. Although it is true that a lot of lactate is produced during intensive units, this metabolic product is further processed and used to generate energy. Aching muscles are therefore not the result of hyperacidity, but of small tears that occur in the muscle fibers as a result of high loads. In order to patch these back together and enlarge the muscle, an inflammatory reaction follows , which is probably responsible for the sore muscles. In addition to pain, stiffness, hardening, increased sensitivity to touch and muscle weakness can occur. The following tips can reduce the extent of your muscle soreness.
Training: 4 tips against sore muscles
The extent and duration of sore muscles can vary greatly from person to person and depend primarily on the intensity and duration of the respective training session. Unusual or particularly high loads that your body is not used to, almost inevitably lead to severe muscle soreness. In order to avoid this, you should increase your training slowly and continuously , instead of drastically increasing the weight during strength training overnight or suddenly running five kilometers more than usual while jogging. Once the sore muscles are there, there are hardly any possibilities to relieve them reduce duration. However, the following tips and measures can make a small contribution.
1. Thorough warm-up
An effective measure against sore muscles begins before your actual training session. According to studies , with a thorough warm-up you can not only reduce your risk of injury, but also the intensity of muscle soreness on the following days. Optimally, you warm up your body and especially the muscles to be trained for a total of about 15 minutes . At the gym, you can use treadmills, elliptical machines, or stationary bikes and rowing machines, and do a light-weight warm-up set on each machine before beginning the strength training. In the fresh air, you can warm up with an ABC run, jumping jacks or jump rope .
2. Recovery training the following day
Once the sore muscles are there, there’s not much we can do about them. However, studies repeatedly show small pain-relieving and regeneration-promoting effects through very relaxed training of the stressed muscles. This measure is also referred to as active recovery and is mainly used to increase blood flow to the muscle. Relaxed jogging or cycling can thus boost the regeneration of your leg muscles. This effect can also be caused or increased by wearing compression clothing. Stretching exercises can relieve the perceived pain and tightness, but do not reduce the duration of muscle soreness.
3. High sleep duration and sleep quality
Before you deal with ice baths, massages or foam rollers, which according to current evidence provide slight pain relief but have no effect on the duration of sore muscles, you should optimize your sleep. Because the most important measures, which account for an estimated 99 percent of the recovery of our muscles, are the everyday basics, which include, in addition to an appropriate regeneration time and a nutritious diet , above all a high-quality and sufficiently timed sleep. Many underestimate the role of sleep , forgetting that muscles don’t grow during exercise, but during recovery, and especially during sleep.
Tip: Ideally, turn off any screens an hour or two before bed, as both light and distraction prevent our bodies and minds from resting. Taking a relaxing evening stroll and keeping a journal can help you organize your thoughts and process the day’s events. Also, follow these sleep hygiene tips >>
4. A hot bath
After a strenuous workout, a hot bath or shower can be more than beneficial and help relieve sore muscles. The heat stimulates blood circulation and metabolism. This allows the muscles to relax and damage is repaired more quickly. Ideally, you should get in the tub about three to four hours after your workout. The ideal water temperature should be around 37 degrees. In order not to unnecessarily strain your circulation, you should not stay in the hot water for longer than 20 minutes.
