By: Aaron Boike, 3CLICK Fitness Lead Trainer, B.S. Kinesiology, A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
We’ve all been there; the day after a tough workout, run, or endurance event. Your muscles ache, you’re stiff, and often times it can feel like you need to rest for several days before you’ll be able to begin your regular routine again. Research hasn’t come up with a conclusive set of reasons for delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), but most research agrees it has to do with the breakdown of lactic acid and an inflammatory response in the muscles where micro-tears have occurred. It can take up to five days for muscles to make a full comeback after a hard workout, but here are some things you can do to help reduce muscle soreness and get back to training quickly.
- Cool Down After Your Workout
- A short 10-15 minute cool down phase following a workout can work wonders to help reduce the soreness you’ll experience the next day. Why? When a cool down is properly employed blood flows to the damaged areas, kickstarting the recovery process. A good cool down employs light aerobics or calisthenics paired with stretching or myofacial release techniques, such as foam rolling.
- Keep Moving!
- While it’s tempting to just sit on the couch when you’re experiencing muscle soreness, the best thing you can do is keep moving. Now, I’m not talking about getting right back into intense exercise, but rather, light movements like walking, easy cycling, bodyweight calisthenics and stretching. Much like a cool down, these light activities stimulate blood flow to the damaged area and typically reduce swelling and inflammation, helping the muscles to recover faster.
- Eat and Drink to Recover
- Good nutrition and hydration following an intense bout of exercise is crucial to a proper recovery. The body needs protein to rebuild damaged tissues. The RDA recommends that strength trained athletes get .73-.91g per pound of bodyweight per day. While endurance athletes may not require quite as much protein as strength trained athletes, research shows the exact amount needed relates to the volume of training being done. Foods that reduce inflammation are also important. Fruits such as tart cherries, berries, tomatoes, olive oil, leafy greens, nuts, fatty fish all have anti-inflammatory properties. Lastly, hydration is key following a tough workout. For endurance athletes, hydration should include an electrolyte replacement following a longer duration workout or event (greater than 90 minutes), or when there is excessive heat.