3 Remedies to cure sore muscles post workout

Like many people you may have decided this month you’re going to get fit and stick to that exercise plan. Or possibly you are already a hardened workout fanatic but you’ve decided to ditch your weights routine and take up a HIIT class just to spice things up.

Whatever your agenda it’s safe to say, if you’ve started something new that you’ve suffered for it. DOMS or Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness is a right of passage on a new workout plan and if you’re anything like me, muscle ache is a great indicator of how hard you worked out. It’s a pain many of us relish, although the actual science as to whether that ache means you’ve gained or improved is undecided.

Muscle soreness can put a lot of new exercisers off and has deterred many people from returning to their combat or cardio class for a second round.

So why do we get sore muscles after exercise? Incorrectly, many people assume it’s the build up of lactic acid that’s been left behind in the muscle, but lactic acid isn’t actually a by product of this process. Instead it’s believed that exercise produces tiny tears in the muscle fibres that your body will naturally repair to increase strength and size of the muscle. Anything that tests the body i.e. a new class or routine will place the muscle under stress that they are not used to. Running a race 1 minute faster than your previous time also has the same effect.

So what can we do? There are many remedies for DOM’s; rest, stretching, foam rolling to name a few but there are three weird tricks you may not have tried that have proved effective time and time again.

1: Caffeine

There are many pros and cons when it comes to drinking caffeine, however, in relation to the muscles studies have shown that consuming 2 cups of coffee prior to exercise can reduce muscle pain by up to 48%. Caffeine blocks pain receptors to the brain slowing down the transmission of nerve impulses which may indicate pain. Caffeine may also increase the metabolising of fats during exercise helping to flush out toxins whilst you move.

If you’re a regular coffee drinker the effects of caffeine may be slightly less pronounced so make sure to cut caffeine intake except on major workout days.

2: Take a magnesium supplement

Magnesium is such an important macro mineral that the body needs 100’s of mg a day. It is not produced naturally however but must be ingested through food or supplement form. If you suffer from muscle pain regularly after exercise, it may be due to a magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium works with calcium to conserve and maintain normal nerve and muscle functions. In the case of a deficiency; too much calcium can be absorbed activating the nerves and increasing the rush of signals to the brain indicating pain. If this is continuous the muscle spasms and tightens leaving you aching for days or in extreme cases, with chronic muscle pain.

Make sure your diet is full of green leafy vegetables, chard, halibut, legumes and nuts and take a daily magnesium supplement.

3: Cold baths and Epsom salts

We all know that ice is great for injuries but an ice bath after exercise can be essential in restoring the body’s homeostasis. I’m not the only one, however, who would much rather luxuriate in a hot bath to relax after a hard workout, but a scalding bath will only further expand the blood vessels causing the muscle to swell and increase inflammation. An ice bath with reduce circulation and slow blood flow allowing hormone levels and chemical processes to reset. Ice will kill the inflammation and once normal temperature is resumed there is an increase of activity speeding up the process of recovery.

After a few days if the pain hasn’t subsided you can now try a hot bath and add some Epsom salts. Epsom salts whilst also being full of magnesium draw out any chemicals, toxins and by products that may have been deposited in the after exercise.

Whilst muscle pain can be unbearable, use these simple techniques alongside regular stretches and don’t be put of! Knowing your muscles have worked have is a great indicator you’re on the right track Don’t avoid your next workout as simply getting the body moving will also help to shift toxins, but be alert if the pain continues or becomes unbearable it may not be a simple case of fatigue but something more serious in which case seek medical help.

And remember that old age adage… No Pain, No Gain!