It’s no secret that working out is good for the body. Exercise has many health benefits, including improving heart health, lowering the risk of developing diseases, and reducing the symptoms of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Following a workout, many people feel energized and invigorated. There are times, however, when working out can lead to soreness and stiffness in the muscles.

Those who have started a new workout routine or those who continue to build on their routine to challenge themselves will likely experience some muscle soreness the day after a workout. But is muscle soreness normal? And why does it happen at all?

Here’s why your muscles get sore after a workout – and what you can do about it.

Why are my muscles sore after working out?

Muscle soreness after a workout is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS for short. The reason muscles begin to feel sore after a change in movement, routine, or intensity of your workout comes down to simple muscle damage. While you put stress on your muscles in a workout, muscle fibers begin to experience microscopic damage and break down. This is what causes pain.

The good news is that because of this, the muscle fibers then have to repair themselves – making them stronger and larger after recovery than they were before. This process is what leads to the workout gains most people are aiming for.

Is it normal to be sore after a workout?

Depending on the type of pain, muscle soreness is usually a normal part of pushing yourself in your workouts. As mentioned above, it’s also a good sign that the work you’re putting into your body is leading to the desired results. However, there are some differences in the pain that can indicate when you may be experiencing something other than the normal soreness associated with an effective workout.

If you are pushing your body too far during your workouts, the severity of the soreness may be so great that walking up stairs or lifting your arms above your head become difficult tasks. This can indicate that you are attempting to go further than your body can handle too rapidly. Giving your muscles the chance to get used to workouts slowly over time will still result in some soreness, but it significantly decreases your risk of injury.

Is it muscle soreness or an injury?

There are a few stark differences between normal muscle soreness following a workout and actual injury. These should be paid attention to, because if an injury isn’t addressed, it can lead to further complications and eventually make it hard to work out altogether. In typical muscle soreness, the body is likely to feel achy, stiff, or tight, with the soreness affecting an entire muscle group. It should also dissipate in the days following your workout routine, and/or when those muscles are worked out again.

When there is an injury to blame for your muscle soreness, that pain will likely be different. It will feel sharp, stabbing, or deep, and will often be localized to one spot. If there is any swelling in the area, that is also a sign that it isn’t typical muscle soreness and that an injury may have occurred. If you go back to work out the same muscle again and the pain becomes more severe, that’s a good indicator of an injury as well.

How to avoid sore muscles after workouts

Although it’s not possible to completely avoid muscle soreness when starting up a new workout routine or changing around the types of exercises you do, there are ways you can help to lessen the soreness. Research has shown that warming up before exercising can greatly decrease DOMS following a workout. Warming up increases blood flow to the area and gets muscles ready for the movements you’re about to perform. Cooling down and stretching following a workout is also vital because it circulates all the blood away from the area to help with recovery.

Staying hydrated is also an important part of avoiding overly sore muscles after a workout. If you are dehydrated, you may experience worsened muscle soreness and fatigue. You will also want to keep up with your workouts. It might seem counterintuitive, but immobilizing a muscle group after working it out can actually prolong or increase muscle soreness. Finally, you’ll want to ensure that you have the proper form when doing your exercises. The wrong form can lead to injury.

How to relieve sore muscles after workouts

There are some good ways to help to relieve muscle soreness after working out that can help drive your progress and keep you in a good routine. Eating foods or taking supplements with amino acids can help to aid in recovery by decreasing muscle damage. Applying heat to the muscles may also help to ease soreness. Research has shown that applying moist heat to the muscles directly after working out helped to reduce the duration and severity of DOMS. 

You may also want to invest in a foam roller. Foam rollers are used as a tool in self-massage and can help to relieve muscle soreness while also improving muscle fatigue and overall flexibility.

The final word: muscle soreness after a workout is normal, and often means that what you’re doing is working. But it’s always important to know your body and its limits when exercising. Pushing yourself can help you achieve your health goals, but going too far can hinder your progress.

Featured image by Alonso Reyes on Unsplash

Often when people think of fitness, they think of exercise. Many people don’t realize how much nutrition has to do with how well the body can handle physical activity and how stamina levels are affected by what someone eats or doesn’t eat.

The modern diet is often lacking in the proper amounts of essential vitamins and minerals the body needs to participate in and maintain optimal fitness levels. That is why many people turn to dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance. Taking supplements to help boost your fitness levels can be a helping hand on the road to a better level of athleticism, but it’s important to know which supplements are best for you. Below we’ll take a look at 10 particular supplements that will improve your fitness levels.

Should you take workout supplements?

As previously mentioned, supplementation is designed to do just that: supplement. It is not a replacement for healthy eating, nor should it be treated as such. However, as people age and the body begins to slow production of certain nutrients or lose the ability to process and store others, supplementing certain vitamins and minerals is entirely necessary, regardless of diet.

The same can be said for those wanting to up their fitness performance. It is also worth noting that you will not reach optimal levels of muscle gain if your diet is not where it should be, so supplementation should follow diet if you want to live up to your full fitness potential. For example, if you’re working out to gain muscle but your body is breaking down more protein than you consume, you aren’t likely to see much difference.

What supplements should I take if I just started working out?

Starting a new workout routine can be difficult, even if diet is up to par. The body has to get used to moving more than it used to and it can be tough to get into a good physical routine that is both challenging and feasible in terms of your current state of health.

Two of the most commonly used supplements by fitness enthusiasts are branched chain amino acids and protein. As mentioned, taking protein is a great start because your body needs it to build muscle, and studies have shown it to be effective in long-term muscle building.

You’ll also want to invest in some branched chain amino acids, as muscle also needs a good level of BCAAs to induce protein synthesis. In the event that you have a hard time getting going, you can also take something for a pre-workout jolt, such as caffeine or a pre-workout blend that contains both caffeine and carbohydrates.

Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance

There is a myriad of different health supplements that can help encourage overall fitness levels aside by encouraging the growth of lean muscle mass.

1. Vitamin D3

Some research has found that being deficient in vitamin D can hinder athletic performance greatly, and that those with adequate levels were able to improve performance during fitness testing in comparison to those without adequate levels.

2. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is needed in the creation of red blood cells, which help to transport oxygen where it needs to go. Without adequate levels of oxygen in the body, physical fitness will suffer greatly. 

3. DHEA

Bone health is important when it comes to fitness, because healthier bones lead to increased ability to participate in different workout routines. DHEA was found to boost bone health, making it easier to work out effectively.

4. Synapsin

Research has found that regular exercise can increase synapsin levels within the body, thus leading to elevated levels of protein.

5. G.A.C.

Otherwise known as glutamine, arginine, and carnitine, this group of amino acids gives the body energy by converting glycogen. This can aid fitness levels due to helping the body return to a healthy body weight, increasing stamina, and improving circulation. It has also been shown to prevent muscle loss.

6. MK-677

This active nonpeptide has been shown to encourage fat-free mass in weight loss efforts, thus leading to greater physical fitness overall.

Best supplements for endurance athletes

To take endurance and stamina up a level, some supplements stand out more than others. The following are thought to improve athletic performance when taken regularly.

7. Fish oil

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help increase overall endurance levels by improving neuromotor functions. The ingredient that is thought to be the biggest driver is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). One study on female soccer players found that it could have a positive impact on reaction time as well as precision and efficiency.

8. Creatine

Creatine is one of the most popular supplements for physical fitness because of the effects it has on building muscle and overall levels of strength. It is naturally occurring in the body and gives cells energy to keep moving.

Many studies have found that the use of creatine supplements during an exercise regimen can significantly increase the body’s ability to gain muscle, increase levels of strength and fat-free mass, and improve physical performance.

9. Beta alanine

Typically used during high-intensity workouts, this particular supplement has been shown to delay muscle fatigue and improve stamina. When it comes to endurance exercises, beta-alanine can help you go the extra mile.

10. Sodium phosphate

Sodium phosphate is more commonly used a food preservative; however, studies have shown that the supplement can lead to an increase in red blood cells’ ability to transfer oxygen throughout the body, thus reducing tiredness levels and increasing stamina.

Taking supplements that will improve your fitness levels could be the boost you need to stay on track with your physical goals. Vital RX’s Fitness Subscription Box contains many of the aforementioned ingredients to help you boost your overall levels of physical fitness and get on the road to a healthier you.

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