Muscle soreness can occur not only after a workout, but also after an intense mountain hike, skiing or horse riding. Therefore, it can be said that soreness accompanies virtually any physical activity. Many active people are looking for ways to prevent it or get rid of it quickly if it occurs. See what soreness really is and learn proven ways to mitigate it.
Soreness and post-workout muscle ache
Contrary to popular belief, the pain we feel after a workout... is not soreness at all. Soreness occurs at the time of training and is related to the metabolic changes taking place in the working muscles. Among others, they produce lactic acid, which “acidifies” the muscle environment. This is felt as a localized pain and “burning” in the working muscles during or just after exercise.
The pain that occurs a day or two after exercise is not related to the presence of lactic acid. This acid is quickly and efficiently excreted from the muscles after exercise, and the pH of the environment smoothly returns to balance. Therefore, the term “soreness” to describe the post-workout ache in the body is quite misplaced.
The delayed discomfort we feel is actually DOMS, from delayed onset muscle soreness, or localized delayed muscle ache. It is the result of a completely different mechanism than the one responsible for the formation of soreness.
Where does DOMS come from, or quick revision of sports physiology
Our skeletal muscles are made up of fibres. It is the work of these fibres that is responsible for muscle functionality and our ability to bend limbs or lift objects, among other things. In every movement we make, muscle fibres do work.
Regardless of the sport, the goal of training is to improve muscle strength and/or endurance. The answer to the question of the mechanism of DOMS formation is actually the adaptive property of working muscle fibres to current conditions. For training to be effective, the stimulus in the form of a workout must be strong enough.
Only then can our muscle fibres break down and then rebuild in excess to prepare for the next strong stimulus in the future. The breakdown and subsequent superstructure of muscle fibres guarantee training progression – it is thanks to these mechanisms that we can perform increasingly heavier workouts, lift heavier weights or achieve better times over a given distance.
Where does DOMS come into play in all of this? It results from the tearing of muscle fibres during physical activity. The torn and repaired tissue generates inflammation on a micro scale, which is felt as pain occurring as early as a dozen or so hours after the workout.
Ways to get rid of muscle pain after training
As you might guess, muscle pain in the form of DOMS will persist until the affected muscle fibres fully recover. We don’t have a direct impact on the rate of muscle tissue recovery, but through various measures we can accelerate the process at least indirectly. Consequently, the best strategy for mitigating pain symptoms will be to enhance regenerative processes so that they occur as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Regeneration from within: diet and supplementation
A properly nourished body equals faster recovery. This is widely known, for example, among sick people, in whom special care is taken to ensure adequate hydration and the availability of macro- and micronutrients for all biochemical processes taking place in the body.
The primary requirement to overcome painful DOMS is adequate hydration. Our body is composed in 70-80 percent of water, because it is in the water environment that most of the body’s biochemical processes take place, including regenerative processes. So make sure you get enough fluids during and after your workout – it may even be a little more than usual. Additional support for muscle hydration will be creatine. Creatine has properties that hydrate muscle cells – this increases their volume, and more nutrients necessary for regenerative processes can “fit” inside.
The primary building block of muscle tissue is protein, so during the pre- and post-workout period you should be especially mindful of its proper supply. Protein demand increases in physically active people, so when DOMS occurs, go for meals rich in complete protein sources, such as lean meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. If you are concerned that you are not consuming enough protein from conventional foods, you can help yourself with protein powder as a supplement.
Electrolyte balance, i.e. adequate concentrations of individual electrolytes, is essential for proper muscle function. In the case of muscles, the essential ingredients include magnesium and calcium, as they are involved in the contraction of muscle fibres. Don't forget to include sources of magnesium (e.g. buckwheat groats, cocoa) and calcium (e.g. dairy products, sesame) in your diet during the pre- and post-workout period. You can further support yourself by drinking highly mineralized water (above 1,500 mg of minerals per litre), which is also an excellent source of these two elements.
Regeneration from the outside
You can also help the process of rebuilding muscle fibres through external stimuli. Among the most popular are massages, sauna and ice baths. According to a 2018 review of scientific studies, the most effective method for getting rid of pain symptoms is massage.
In addition to its relaxing effect on the nervous system, massage improves blood and lymph circulation. This allows more nutrients to reach the muscles, and is a major factor in proper recovery. The most effective massage will be one done by a professional, but few people can afford a professional massage after every workout they do. In this case, self-massage performed with rollers and balls can be a good strategy. It is important to remember that such a massage should not be performed immediately after training – with this “pleasure” you should wait at least a few hours after the end of the workout.
The second most effective method of getting rid of DOMS is exposure to cold. We can often see this method among professional athletes preparing for competitions. At home, this method can be used as a cold shower or an ice bath. During the winter season, we can enjoy ice swimming.
Another method of overcoming muscle soreness can be exposure to heat. There is a lack of conclusive scientific evidence on the effectiveness of this method, but high temperature dilates blood vessels, which may indeed result in better transport of nutrients to the muscles. In addition, a hot shower or sauna session has a relaxing and loosening effect, which also promotes muscle recovery.