It can be painful and unpleasant – sore muscles. Who hasn’t experienced it? Everything was fine during sport, but the next morning it’s hard to move your arms and legs. But how does sore muscles develop in the first place and what can you do about it?
How does a sore muscle develop?
Originally, it was assumed that the lactate released caused over-acidification of the muscle, which led to the pain. Today, it is assumed that fine micro tears form in the muscle as soon as it is overloaded – especially during intensive or unaccustomed movements. The micro-tears are tiny injuries to the muscle fibres, which ultimately lead to small inflammations in the muscle tissue. As a rule, muscle soreness is harmless, occurs about one day after the overload and should be forgotten within a week.
What can I do for acute muscle soreness?
- Do not stiffen! Make sure that you still move the muscle. Light and loose movements of the affected area can help, but there should be no additional strain.
- Watch your diet! Eat foods rich in protein. These help as an important building block in the repair of muscle tissue. Examples are low-fat meat, legumes or curd cheese.
- Relax! Treat your muscles with heat. A visit to the sauna or a soothing bath can help you relieve your muscle pain. Light and gentle massages also promote blood circulation and can be useful for regeneration.
- Take care of yourself! If the soreness lasts longer, is unusually severe or cannot be attributed to unusual movement or sport, consult a doctor to rule out a strain, for example.
Can I prevent sore muscles?
The good news is – yes, you can take good steps to prevent the common muscle ache. ..
In general, if you exercise regularly, you also train the interaction of the muscles and thus experience less and less muscle soreness. Exercise regularly and in a variety of ways to target as many muscle groups as possible. Proceed in small, gradual steps and do not overtax yourself.
Drink plenty of fluids on a regular basis. Either juice spritzers or just water are good choices. Suitable juice spritzers are, for example, apple or cherry juice spritzers. The juices contain antioxidants and secondary plant substances that have an anti-inflammatory effect on the muscles.
From today’s scientific point of view, stretching immediately before or after training is rather counterproductive. Therefore, do not stretch extensively.
Conclusion
Sore muscles can be an unpleasant side effect of a lot of exercise. But there are ways and means to fight this nasty but harmless fellow. Regularity is the be-all and end-all. If the symptoms do not disappear within a week or get worse, it is advisable to seek medical advice.