What is post-workout muscle soreness?

Many people experience muscle soreness after exercising. This is most common after a high-intensity workout. Though it sounds like common sense, soreness after exercise isn't always related to exertion. Some people experience muscle soreness after exercising, even if they don't engage in high-intensity training. Keep reading to find out why this can happen, along with a few tips for recovery after a workout.
 

What causes post-workout muscle soreness?

Common causes of muscle soS ignup form reness after exercise include overuse, exercise-induced injury and chronic inflammation caused by inflammatory conditions, among several others. It can also be caused by a technical or personal problem with your equipment (e.g., lousy equipment, poor lifting technique etc.).
 
This is why it is essential to follow up with a good post-workout routine to prevent further deterioration of your muscles due to overtraining and strain. It is also vital to adequately hydrate throughout your day as one of the leading causes of post workout muscle soreness is dehydration. Paying close attention to your nutrition and water intake can be helpful to prevent post-workout muscle soreness.
 

Types of post-workout muscle soreness

If you go to the gym to gain muscle, train for a triathlon or play a bit of light table tennis, it is often soreness or stiffness in the muscles that follow your workout. This stiffness and soreness can make it harder to move later on in the day or increase your risk of injury if you have already sustained an injury during your workout.
 
Muscle damage can occur at any time. If you experience prolonged pain, it can indeed be a more severe condition, and you will need to follow the advice of your physician regarding treatments and recuperation times to follow. However, in most cases, post-workout muscle soreness is a common occurrence, and it can be alleviated by following few easy steps.
 
But first and foremost, it's crucial to identify the type of muscle soreness you're experiencing. By determining the type of post-workout muscle soreness, you might have suffered from, and you can decide if it requires rest or treatment. The following are the two main types of muscle-soreness that one can experience[1].

Acute muscle soreness:

Acute muscle soreness is what you generally experience during a workout. Remember that sudden burning sensation that you feel through your muscles while you're in the thick of training? This painful feeling generally stops shortly after you come to a standstill. Sometimes this may go up to 24 hours post-exercise, but not more than that. Acute muscle soreness is caused by the sudden build-up of lactic acid in your muscles[2].
 
Acute muscle soreness post-workout due to lactic acid is often a sign that your muscles were exercised hard and that your muscles are sufficiently fatigued. In this instance, they demand recovery time and rest from activity.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS):

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common problem experienced by those who engage in challenging physical activity, especially lifting weights or performing lengthy and strenuous exercises in the heat.
 
DOMS is the muscle pain that begins after your workout, taking place typically 12 to 24 hours after training has been completed. It comes on gradually and may last over a period of 3 or 4 days[3].
 
In most cases, however, the treatment and prevention of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) require just a few techniques that can provide much-needed relief for your sore muscles.
 

How to deal with post-workout muscle soreness

The soreness that comes with exercise is temporary and usually goes away on its own in a day or two. However, some people experience muscle soreness for several weeks after they have completed a workout. This is known as post-workout inflammation and is a standard part of the recovery process. It is also a sign that your muscles were stressed during the exercise and needed extra help getting rid of it.
 
Listed below are a few post-workout recovery tips that can provide relief for your sore muscles, reduce inflammation and increase blood flow after a workout.

 

Light stretching

Stretching before and after a workout is essential to recover fast from muscle exertion and prevent muscle damage. Stretching post-workout is essentially beneficial for several reasons. First, it helps reduce the risk of injury due to overuse or over-ambitious exercise. Second, it stretches your muscle fibres so that they are capable of producing more force when you use them during training. Finally, it increases flexibility, improves range of motion and helps prevent injuries to tendons, muscles, ligaments and other muscles prone to tears during exercise.[4]

 Ice it up

Ice packs and joint pain go hand in hand for many athletes. So does the prevention of muscle soreness and stiffness post-training. Research shows that simply applying ice to sore muscles immediately after exercise helps to reduce soreness 3-5 days later.

A relaxing massage

A massage is an excellent post-workout recovery method that provides several therapeutic benefits. A correctly performed massage can help alleviate muscle aches, spasms, and pain that accompany a workout. A licensed sports masseuse can effectively treat even the most extreme muscle soreness after a workout.

Warm bath

After working out, your body needs recovery time. Take a warm bath or a hot water shower to help with this condition. A steam bath will help soothe muscle soreness and relieve stiffness.

Amp up your protein intake 

Protein intake after workouts helps provide adaptive responses that support the body to repair and rebuild muscle tissues damaged by intense exercise. Incorporating proper nutrition into your diet can even help prevent muscle soreness post-workout.

Compression therapy

Compression devices such as Spryng compression wraps can be applied immediately after exercise to reduce inflammation and swelling. These wraps can also be incorporated into your regular nighttime routine to improve blood circulation in your feet and legs, and thereby help ease muscle pain and soreness after a long and strenuous day. Spryng compression devices requires only 15 minutes of your day to work the magic of alleviating leg muscle pain by promoting blood circulation in your legs and feet.

 

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Plenty of rest

If you do any type of physical exercise, you need to make sure you get proper recovery. This includes making time for rest, drinking plenty of fluids to keep your body recharged, and avoiding excessive stress and pain killers. And if the soreness interferes with your workout routine, try taking a day off and doing something relaxing that will provide your body with the break it needs to recover fully, allowing you to come back stronger on your next workout session. 

 

[1] https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/sore-muscles-dont-stop-exercising#1
[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-get-rid-of-lactic-acid
[3] https://www.healthline.com/health/doms#symptoms
[4] https://www.self.com/story/how-deal-post-workout-muscle-soreness-really-painful