Post-workout muscle aches and pains: why they occur and how to reduce them

Lactic acid production is often blamed for muscle pain that occurs 6-12 hours after finishing exercise, especially as a result of performing a new or very intense exercise for the body.

The reality is that lactic acid is actually produced when the body is subjected to intense activity, but its action ends 30 to 60 minutes after the exercise or activity has ended.

The pain that appears about 6-12 hours later is due to the muscles having experienced mini-tears in their fibers and a natural inflammatory response, sometimes called muscle fever, which can take 3-4 days to disappear.

Today I'm going to give you some tips on delayed onset muscle soreness, how to treat it, and some advice that will help you get over it faster.

What are post-workout pains or soreness?

When you try a new physical activity or change your exercise routine, you may experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Muscle soreness can appear 6 to 12 hours after a workout and last up to 48 hours.

This pain is felt because the muscle is expanding. When doing a biceps curl, for example, the muscle contracts and the lengthening occurs at the moment of negative effort, that is, when the weight is going down. This is when micro-trauma or micro-tears of the muscle occur.

When doing the squat, the quadriceps are stretched when you are going down, that is, when you apply negative force (during inhalation).  Remember that with weight exercises, you exhale when the weight is against gravity and you inhale when you are following the force of gravity or the negative phase of the exercise.

The positive side of this pain is that it is felt as the muscles heal and become stronger. In fact, our body, perceiving these micro-traumas, as well as a cut, wound or blow, rushes to stimulate the growth hormone so that the healing and strengthening mechanisms of the affected area are activated.

Growth hormone is a natural hormone produced and released by the pituitary gland that acts on many parts of the body to promote growth in children. Once the growth plates in your bones (epiphyses) have fused, hGH no longer increases height, but your body still needs hGH.

As the growth phase ends, hGH helps maintain the body's normal structure and metabolism, including helping to keep blood sugar (glucose) levels within a healthy range. In fact, it is said that as long as we stimulate the production of growth hormone, the body will remain youthful.

In healthy people, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) inhibits the release of hGH.  On the other hand, restful sleep, stress caused by fasting or intense exercise, especially strength training, as well as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and amino acids, trigger the stimulation of this hormone naturally.

When you exercise, endorphins are also released, which allow you to cope with muscle pain and, in fact, feel that pleasant mix of tiredness and pain after intense exercise.

This doesn't mean that every time you train or exercise you should feel pain, not at all.  Post-workout soreness is an adaptation mechanism of the body and occurs when a new or intense exercise is performed, or if a workout is performed after a prolonged period of stillness.

How to relieve post-workout muscle soreness

The first thing we want to do is increase blood flow to the painful area.

• The next day when you wake up and you have that pain that makes you not know whether to laugh or cry, concentrate on doing what is called active rest . Maybe using the same muscle group, but nothing close to what you did the day before.

If your pain was caused by a hard athletic workout, switch to walking or cycling at a light intensity the next day. This is important because both staying still and jumping into another workout just as hard as the day before will intensify your pain and take longer to recover.

• Take a hot bath or shower because it dilates blood vessels, increases blood flow and relaxes your muscles. When there is increased blood flow, muscle pain and tension are reduced.  After an intense workout, warm water, steam, or sauna can soothe tense muscles.

• Massage the affected area with tools such as tennis balls, foam rollers, or an ointment or cream for sore muscles and any knots that may have formed.

• Gentle stretching so that the quality of the fabric and its elongation gradually return to its initial length.

Tips for a fast and effective recovery

Training

Before continuing with the recommendations, keep in mind that it is not advisable to train the affected area, or at least not with the same intensity until the pain has disappeared.  While there is pain, the body is still in the process of healing those micro injuries that formed during the training that caused them.

Dream

Just as important as training is the recovery stage, and nothing beats that recovery period like a restful, adequate sleep. 

Between 7 and 9 or even 10 hours of deep sleep at night to recover from an intense training pace is crucial for performance and reducing muscle pain. Sleep is the key to obtaining the benefits of a workout: strength, endurance, vigor and of course, motivation to continue.

Occasionally, and only if you have trouble sleeping because of the pain, you may take a painkiller to help you relax your muscles and rest.

Feeding

Before training:

Matcha green tea (ceremonial) because 5 grams of this tea contain 150 mg of caffeine (without the nervous alteration that coffee produces) that helps increase blood flow and fight free radicals.  Taken half an hour before training, it increases endurance, vigor and concentration during exercise.

If you don't have access to Matcha tea, you can opt for good quality green tea or even coffee , which also helps you increase aerobic endurance, muscle strength, use of body fat and even cognitive function.

Tart cherry juice is recommended in many places for a quick recovery, but since it is not available in many countries and may contain some sugar, green tea, coffee and water are the preferred alternatives.

After training:

Especially if your workout was done on an empty stomach or fasting, taking electrolytes (that do not contain sugar) has important benefits.

Our diet contains plenty of sodium, so try to get a higher percentage of potassium in the electrolytes you eat. This serves three purposes:  replenish lost minerals, balance what is known as the sodium and potassium pump, and a bonus is that, after eating, you will not feel hungry between meals, or that you still have to eat something that you do not know if it is salty or sweet (this normally happens when minerals are not balanced in the body).

Make your first meal after training contain lean protein . 

A shake with a plant-based protein works for me, or even hard-boiled eggs.

Then, a complete meal is ideal, giving priority to a good quality protein, lots of green vegetables and enough fiber.

Other foods to consider for a quick recovery are probiotic foods such as fermented foods, including kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, and kefir.

Specific nutrients :

Omega-3 because it promotes muscle recovery and healing.

Vitamin B complex to relieve stress related to intense exercise as it helps muscles and joints adapt and strengthen.

Magnesium.  While calcium helps generate muscle contractions, magnesium helps muscles relax after these contractions.  If the body has a higher proportion of calcium than magnesium, strong and painful muscle cramps appear.  Supplementing with magnesium can help prevent or reduce cramps, as well as post-workout muscle soreness.

Turmeric:  Recent studies indicate that turmeric can help improve muscle health, heal wounds, reduce inflammation and even repair muscle tears.