Everyone knows it, but few like it: sore muscles. There's hardly anyone who hasn't experienced this pain. Therefore, it's understandable that athletes, or those aspiring to become athletes, are constantly looking for ways to shorten or even completely avoid muscle soreness. But unfortunately, it's not that simple.
What is muscle soreness?
Muscle soreness often occurs after unfamiliar training sessions. For example, if you start exercising again after a long break, you're very likely to experience muscle soreness because your body isn't used to the training and movements. Researchers suspect that muscle soreness is caused by small tears in the muscle fibers. The body naturally tries to repair these small injuries, which causes muscle pain. Unfortunately, it's difficult to determine at what training intensity the risk of full-blown muscle soreness arises, as it usually doesn't appear until 12 to 48 hours later.
How do you prevent muscle soreness?
You probably won't be able to completely avoid muscle soreness, but you can support your muscles with these tips:
- Make sure you warm up before training and don't start at full intensity right away.
- Stretch lightly after your workout. But don't overdo it, because even stretching can put strain on your muscles!
- Try to establish a healthy diet so that your body has enough nutrients available.
How do you get rid of sore muscles as quickly as possible?
The bad news is: there's no cure-all for this annoying pain. If you have sore muscles, you'll have to get through it, whether you like it or not. However, we have a few tips for muscle soreness that will make this phase easier for you:
- Get enough sleep: Your body needs energy to repair your muscles, and the best way to provide it with this energy is to get enough sleep. This is the fastest way for your muscles to recover.
- A hot shower or a warm bath: The warmth helps you relax and stimulates circulation, allowing your muscles to recover faster. A sauna session can also help.
- Don't strain sore muscles: Even if you're highly motivated and eager to get started on your next training session right away, you shouldn't strain yourself too quickly. Give your body time to repair your muscles. Even if you train with sore muscles, you'll hardly be able to build muscle because your body is still busy repairing itself.
- Light exercise: A workout would likely damage your muscles, but that doesn't mean you have to stay on the couch the whole time. Light walks are good for your muscles and usually don't overwork them.
When should I see a doctor?
If you haven't noticed any improvement after seven days, it's best to see a doctor. It's possible you've torn a muscle fiber or something worse. Otherwise, despite the pain, muscle soreness isn't dangerous to your body, and the muscle fibers usually heal on their own.