Home / About the problem / How to cope with the consequences of muscle strain?
Injuries
Almost every one of us knows the feeling of pain that occurs a day after intense training or unusual physical work. It’s worth doing exercises in the gym for an undeveloped muscle group or working hard in the spring at the dacha - and in the morning everything in your body aches. Doctors call this condition delayed onset muscle pain syndrome (DSMS) or sore throat, and in everyday life we often say that “muscles are clogged.”
What is sore throat?
Have you gone to the gym, worked certain muscle groups, and the next day you can hardly move due to pain? This is muscle soreness. It is worth distinguishing it from pain arising due to injuries. Moreover, even repeated exercise that warms up the muscles is not able to immediately and completely relieve the discomfort: after training, the pain will return. Fortunately, experienced bodybuilders know several ways to reduce pain and get rid of soreness faster.
This is interesting: according to medical research, the accumulation of unpleasant sensations is most acute in the interval from 24 to 72 hours after physical activity.*
At the same time, it is very important to be able to distinguish between your own sensations and determine where the problem lies in sore throat, and where the pain is caused by muscle strain. Otherwise, additional loads can lead to unpleasant consequences.
Types of muscle pain
How to distinguish an injury from a sore throat? According to the subjective sensations that arise in the body after physical activity.
Natural pain
. Occurs after training. Working out the muscles leads to microtraumas: the fibers literally tear and are filled with lactic acid. During the regeneration process, the tissue lengthens and increases in volume, resulting in that beautiful muscle relief. Such pain does not harm the body and is the result of stress experienced by the muscles.
Delayed pain
. May occur several days after intense exercise. As a result, this type of sore throat prevents the muscles from contracting normally. How to get rid of this problem? Only additional training. Otherwise, the load will be useless, the muscles will not develop, but will return to their original state.
Pain caused by injury
. Occurs immediately when a muscle or ligament is injured. It is acute in nature and does not go away 2-3 days after exercise.
Causes
When feeling soreness, many people probably thought that something terrible and irreparable had happened to their muscles. There is no need to panic; instead, let’s try to understand this process competently.
So, yesterday you had a wonderful workout with a heavy barbell, but you woke up this morning and felt that your muscles hurt, especially when you contract or palpate them. I don’t want to scare you, but tomorrow they will hurt even more. It’s not for nothing that sore throat is called delayed pain syndrome – pain usually begins to appear 12 hours after exercise, reaches its peak after 36-48 hours, and goes away within a few days.
What happened? The fact is that physical activity caused microtraumatization of muscle fibers - myofibrils. It could have happened in several ways - from mechanical impact, in our case it was lifting heavy weights, or as a result of chemical destruction - muscle acidification.
Theory of microtrauma
Currently, several hypotheses for the occurrence of sore throat have been presented. The theory of microtrauma seems to be the most substantiated . According to this theory, muscle pain occurs due to damage to muscle fibers and connective tissue under the influence of both concentric and eccentric loading. Moreover, from the latter type of load the sore throat is much stronger, and this is a long-established fact.
Muscles consist of myofibrils of varying lengths; the shorter ones tear first, so-called structural overload occurs and the integrity of the muscle cell is disrupted. This leads to inflammation, the damaged areas swell, the pressure in the cell increases and this irritates the nerve endings that are located in the muscles. As a result, the person feels pain. I believe you have observed that sore muscles noticeably swell and become larger, sometimes this is confused with muscle growth, but a few days pass, the swelling subsides and there is no trace of “growth” left. Also, immune cells are sent to the destroyed cell, the purpose of which is to eliminate inflammation and restore cellular structure.
Chemical destruction hypothesis
The chemical destruction hypothesis states that muscle pain occurs as a result of the accumulation of lactic acid and hydrogen ions as a result of muscle activity in anaerobic mode. Surely you are familiar with the effects of lactic acid accumulation - it is characterized by an unpleasant burning sensation in the muscle. Typically, the burning sensation occurs from a lot of repetitive movements, such as when pedaling quickly on a bicycle or pumping-style strength training. Lactate and hydrogen ions seem to burn the muscle cell, water from the tissue fluid enters the muscle fibers, causing them to swell, and this irritates the nerve endings, which cause pain.
Effect of lactic acid
After intense physical training, the muscles begin to lack oxygen. Then, to obtain the necessary energy, a reserve mechanism is activated, where lactic acid begins to be produced in the process of splitting water and carbon dioxide. As a result, the vessels dilate, increasing blood flow to the muscles. In addition, it is lactic acid that helps red blood cells release maximum oxygen. At the final stage of this metabolic process, it goes to the liver, where it is broken down and converted into glucose. In this case, the appearance of lactic acid in the muscles is one of the main factors provoking pain. That is, in order to get rid of unpleasant sensations, this substance literally needs to be “dispersed”. How to relieve soreness in the fastest and most effective way? Using a massage that will help speed up the processing of lactic acid. To do this, you don’t need to go to a professional: if you stretch your muscles yourself, the pain will also go away.
How to avoid the occurrence of sore throat?
Unfortunately, no way. The only way to avoid muscle pain is not to exercise at all or choose a gentle regimen with minimal stress. However, this does not mean that any exercise will bring discomfort. You can reduce pain if you follow a few simple rules:
- Be sure to warm up before training. This should take at least twenty minutes, and during the warm-up process it is necessary to warm up all muscle groups;
- drink clean water during or after exercise;
- increase the load gradually;
- After training, do some stretching and relaxation exercises;
- Pay attention to the specialized food product for nutrition of athletes. For example, the Herbalife 24 recovery cocktail, enriched with iron to provide additional oxygen to tissues, can help you bounce back faster after physical activity and avoid injury. It contains protein and L-glutamine, which also help build muscle mass. Due to its pleasant taste, you can enjoy the cocktail and replenish your strength at the same time.
It is important! All exercises should be performed smoothly, without sudden movements or jerks, as this minimizes the risk of damage to muscles and ligaments.**
Muscle soreness: friend or foe
There are two sides to the coin. First: soreness means that the training was intense enough, and the necessary muscles were involved. Yes, they were injured - but after this their growth will increase, they will adapt to new exercises and become stronger. Next time such a load will no longer cause pain.
But there is also a minus. Regular chronic sore throat inhibits the development of an athlete’s muscle tissue. As a result, the body runs out of resources necessary for its regeneration - pain becomes a permanent phenomenon that occurs even with light exertion.
Conclusion: sore throat is a friend, as long as you don’t stay at a party for too long.
How to quickly get rid of sore throat?
If muscle pain does occur, you can use a whole set of recommendations developed by experienced bodybuilders.
- Take a hot shower or bath. This will increase blood flow to the muscles, helping them relax and recover faster. This method can only be used for sore throat; in case of sprain or other ligament injury, it is contraindicated!
- Get a massage. You can do it yourself or with the help of a specialist. This effect will help disperse lactic acid, relieve muscle spasms and tissue swelling.
- Use ointments. There are special sports gels based on natural herbs, created specifically for relieving soreness.
- Get some sleep. Healthy sleep is one of the best ways to recover. If you suffer from insomnia after intense exercise, then your training program needs to be reconsidered.
It is important! Proper nutrition plays a huge role: a balanced diet will help you restore energy faster and avoid overload during training.***
Muscles hurt after training - what to do
Based on the need to injure fibers in bodybuilding for muscle growth, athletes avoid fighting already manifested soreness, but immediately promote rapid muscle recovery through rest and proper nutrition.
- Since pain is caused by inflammation, measures to reduce symptoms using the new method require anti-inflammatory therapy - taking aspirin. It is the removal of inflammation, and not heating, that is necessary to eliminate sore throat.
- Also during this period it is necessary to combat muscle swelling caused by microtrauma of the fibers. To do this, you need to take herbal, green tea and pharmacy kidney preparations .
- Such measures are necessary if the pain is unbearable and causes inconvenience in everyday life. In any case, this is a natural process that can be waited out by resting until the muscles are completely restored .
conclusions
How to remove soreness in muscles? Train more, but at the same time choose the optimal intensity of the load. To prevent muscle pain, you need to do daily exercises, which will help warm up and disperse lactic acid. A particularly important point for beginners is a gradual increase in loads. In addition, you must not forget about proper nutrition and drinking regime. All this will help keep the body in good shape, prevent pain and muscle congestion. And if you couldn’t avoid the problem, seek help from a professional massage therapist, do a few stretching exercises or take a hot bath. And, of course, remember about Herbalife Nutrition products, which can help prevent serious injuries and recover faster, even after serious exercise.
Links:
* Does Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage Play a Role in Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy? https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221841567_Does_Exercise-Induced_Muscle_Damage_Play_a_Role_in_Skeletal_Muscle_Hypertrophy
** Cynthia Vader. Yoga + Pilates = Yogalates. Fashionable fitness for the soul https://booksbunker.com/sintiya_veyder/65045/
*** Arnold Schwarzenegger. New encyclopedia of bodybuilding. Book 5: Health, nutrition and diet. https://www.litmir.me/br/?b=178801
Patches for muscle pain
For moderate to severe muscle pain, special patches are quite effective in helping to relieve spasm, swelling and pain. The patches contain medicinal substances that have a warming effect, penetrating into the deep layers of tissue.
Pepper patch
The patch contains capsicum extract, which has a warming effect and eliminates muscle pain. The patch must be glued to the problem area of the body, and the warming effect occurs almost immediately. But you need to take into account that the patch cannot be used for skin diseases, since it greatly irritates the skin.
Patches with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory component
Medicinal patches, which contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are used for bruises, muscle strains, and sports injuries to soft tissues. They have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect and are applicable in the acute period of the disease.
Voltaren patch
It has a wide range of indications and is used for injuries, bruises, and muscle strains. It also helps with joint pain and inflammatory changes in the spine. The patch relieves swelling and inflammation of soft tissues after sports injuries.
Due to the long-term action of the medicinal component, the analgesic effect reaches 24 hours. The patch is easy to use, convenient to stick on and can be used from the age of 15 years.
Before using the patch, you must read the instructions.
Anesthetic patches
Therapeutic patches contain substances that block nerve receptors, providing an analgesic effect for muscle pain.
Versatis
The active component of the medicinal patch is lidocaine. The active substance blocks the transmission of nerve impulses along sensitive nerve fibers, due to this an anesthetic effect occurs.
The patch is used for myositis, neuralgia, muscle pain of moderate and severe severity. The patch is glued to the problem area and fixed for 12 hours. The duration of use of the patch depends on the severity of the pain syndrome. It is not recommended to use the product for more than five days.
Chinese herbal patches
The action of Chinese patches is based on the slow penetration of drugs into the deep layers of the epidermis. The drug has a warming effect, and the beneficial components act on the affected area, reducing pain and eliminating inflammation in the muscles.
The most widely used is the Chinese tiger patch.
Tiger patch
The plates contain more than 35 types of medicinal plants. The most effective substance is mustard, which has a pronounced analgesic effect. The patch also contains vitamins, camphor, menthol and medicinal oils.
Tiger patch relieves swelling and inflammation of soft tissues, improves blood circulation. And most importantly, it relieves muscle pain well.
The patch lasts up to 11 hours; when applied to the skin, a slight burning sensation is felt, which means that the active components have begun to act. The patch can be used for no more than three weeks.
Therapeutic kinesio tape
Due to sports or other muscle injury, pain occurs. This is explained by the fact that blood and inflammatory fluid accumulate at the site of the traumatic blow. Blood circulation and oxygen supply to tissues are reduced. In this case, it is advisable to use a kinesio tape patch. The patch is made of 100% cotton, and the overall structure is close to the skin. It is practically not noticeable on the body, which allows you to perform physical exercises.
The patch is applied to the affected area and begins to seal the space between the deep tissues and the skin. In this case, the lymphatic vessels dilate and the pressure on the blood vessels decreases. Reduces muscle pain and improves the healing process.
The patch can be used separately and as an addition to drug treatment, manual therapy and physiotherapy.
In addition to the fact that the patch fights pain and relieves muscle tension, it is actively used in sports. In the sports field, kinesio tape is used for rigid fixation, especially when it is necessary to immobilize a damaged muscle. It relaxes and tones muscle tissue, relieving stress. The patch should be applied to the affected area.
If you follow the instructions for use, the patch will help restore muscle function, reduce swelling of soft tissues, increase range of motion, increase muscle endurance during prolonged exercise, and relieve pain in smooth muscles.
When using various patches, the recovery time is significantly reduced, which contributes to the rapid return to its original shape. Also, they have virtually no side effects on the body.
When muscle pain becomes severe, you cannot do without the use of medications in the form of ointments and tablets.
