You’ve just finished a fantastic strength-training workout and had some protein. Your muscles were “hammered” throughout your workout, and you can already feel how tough it will be to get out of bed the next morning.
You then retire to bed (and as you are surely aware, you need to have a good night’s rest, which is generally 8 to 9 hours every night; further information can be found on the page about rest after exercise). The following morning, when a brand-new day has begun, you stretch in bed and, to your chagrin, discover that nothing hurts. The muscles just twitch slightly, making you question what has happened and whether your training is sufficient. Or did I simply recover extremely quickly? We’ll go into the causes of delayed muscle soreness in more detail below, along with some strategies for avoiding it.
Why do muscles hurt?
Let’s gain a basic understanding of biochemistry. Several body processes require an energy base, such as ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is created by the breakdown of glucose. The neurological system, the brain, and the muscles all depend on ATP for energy.
The ATP can be created in one of two ways:
1) Aerobic – utilising oxygen while pyruvic acid is being produced (pyruvic acid is the substrate of the Krebs cycle, the body’s main metabolic function).
2) Anaerobic – occurs when there is no oxygen present, producing lactate or lactic acid as a result. We have probably all experienced this when our legs tighten up after strong deadlifts or squats or after jogging.
It is important to note that the pathway in which lactate is produced is not extremely effective at producing a lot of energy, but it moves quickly, ensuring that physical activity and muscle contractions are carried out at the right rate. When performing drop sets, pump workouts, and supersets, lactate generation is extremely important. However, the majority of the lactic acid is eliminated from the muscles within minutes after the completion of high-intensity (or heavy) activities, and the remaining portion is eliminated many hours later.
Since lactic acid accumulation is not the primary cause of delayed muscle pain, it is not the “culprit” either. Although it still hurts, it is not the culprit. Add some salt to your diet, which is proven to aid and avoid cramps in the muscles, to help with the lactic acid accumulation in the body that causes them. What else causes muscular discomfort besides lactic acid?
The problem is that muscle fibres are micro-torn during exercises with free weights or on simulators. Additionally, the injury will be more serious and cause more noticeable pain the harder the task is done. Due to the high risk of self-injury from submaximal weights, including muscle and tendon tears, as well as the unpleasantness and length of the recovery process, it is much more effective to follow the periodization of the workout routine and gradually increase the amount of weight used within the exercises.
When lifting heavy weights or working out hard, the body reacts to the overload by inflaming the affected area. This results in the production of prostaglandins, which are inflammatory mediators and the source of the pain.
You commonly hear people complain of discomfort from workouts that took place days earlier because uncomfortable feelings that we classify as “delayed muscle pain” typically arise within 24-48 hours following the conclusion of a workout. A sensation of stiffness, heightened sensitivity, and a dull throbbing ache are the results of too rigorous training sessions. Depending on the inflammation and the length of time needed for the body to repair and create these fibres, this state often lasts 5 to 7 days in certain situations.
What further forms of muscular soreness exist?
Moderate muscular aches after exercise – As was previously established, this is directly related to the development of lactic acid. The burning in the muscles that often happens during the last repetitions is caused by lactate.
Persistent (or delayed) muscular soreness: This type of pain usually starts on the second day following a workout. The reasons for this have already been covered in the discussion above.
Trauma-related muscle discomfort is a common occurrence in many professional sports. For instance, in a powerlifting match. I have personally seen an athlete detach the pectoralis major muscle at one of the main heads while performing the bench press. Muscle tears can also manifest as redness, the emergence of swelling and inflammation, as well as overall weakness or weariness, in addition to the occurrence of extremely painful symptoms. It goes without saying that to secure the tranquilly and recuperation of the injured muscle, this condition needs the prompt help of trained medical specialists.
The crucial query is, “How do I lessen muscle pain?”
Thus, you experience discomfort after waiting for the onset of muscular pain on the second day and realise that nothing seemed to ache yesterday. What steps can be made to make this pain go away?
1) Massage: It helps the microcirculation of the muscles.
2) Cardio or stretching exercises.
3) Beta-alanine or glutamic acid will hasten the healing process.
4) A hot shower or bath will speed up the excretion of lactic acid because the blood vessels will expand. It is advised to use one of these methods right away following training.
5) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, taken over a few days to diminish inflammation and the release of inflammatory mediators that mediate pain, are used to treat very severe pain.
