If you have ever exercised in your life, which I think you would have, if you are reading this article, then I can guarantee you that you have experienced soreness of muscles.
For some individuals sore muscles are a reward after a heavy workout. For some it is frustrating as it leads to lower than normal levels of their athletic performance. For some, it is demotivating and keeps them away from exercising for many days.
When we start exercising or restart after a long gap, soreness is expected. Don’t panic, it will settle on it’s own in 2-3 days. Soreness is a sign that your long unused muscles have woken up and your body will try to repair it on it’s own.
There are few causes of soreness.
1. Soreness due to lactic acid: The sharp pain that you experience while doing the exercise is due to accumulation of lactic acid. This painful sensation gets us to stop overworking the body, thus forcing a recovery period Lactic acid is a normal byproduct of muscle metabolism, As we slow down, oxygen becomes available and this byproduct is used up further to produce glycogen and gets stored in the muscle for use during exercise. So the soreness caused due to Lactic acid quickly dissipates the moment we stop the activity.
2. Often you would have experienced soreness which is felt a day or few days later. This is whatsapped the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. DOMS is characterized by severe muscle tenderness as well as loss of strength and range of motion, usually reaching a peak 24 to 72 hours after the extreme exercise event. This has been typiwhatsappy associated with micro tears in our muscle fibres and body responds to this damage by increasing inflammation which leads to Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness.
Try not to pop in a pill. I will suggest natural ways to deal with it.
1. Try to bear the pain. This will increase your pain threshold. And remember what does not kill you, only makes you stronger.
2. Stretch the body part that is sore. Though mild, you will get some relief.
3. Icing the area can provide some relief
4. Go for a mild jog or run the day following the exercises that caused the soreness.
5. Dehydration can make muscle soreness painful. So keep yourself hydrated
6. Eat right :Some studies have suggested the following dietary interventions to reduce the inflammation:
1. Consume Omega 3 fatty acids
2. Food rich in polyphenols – green tea, nuts, red wine, berries, soya products
References:
1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/lactic-acid
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4294436/#:~:text=Prostaglandins%20and%20bradykinin%20are%20known,cells%20in%20the%20damaged%20site.
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