Muscle soreness is the muscle pain that very often follows exercise. For a long time, people thought excess lactic acid was what made the muscles hurt.
What exactly is muscle soreness?
Muscle soreness is the muscle pain that very often follows exercise. For a long time, people thought excess lactic acid was what made the muscles hurt. Today, however, sports physicians assume that the muscle cells suffer micro-trauma. The German term "Muskelkater" probably comes from "Muskel-Katarrh", meaning muscle inflammation.
Muscle soreness causes temporary pain that can severely restrict movement. Unlike strains, bruises or tears, it's fairly harmless: if you treat it right, it goes away on its own within a few days without leaving any damage.
The symptoms
- The muscles hurt when you move
- The muscles may feel hard and stiff
- Muscle strength is reduced
- In mild cases there may be tingling
Muscle soreness peaks after one to three days. It then gradually eases and is completely gone about a week later – no treatment is needed. If the pain doesn't go away in that time, see a doctor, as it could be a strain or muscle tear.
Preventing muscle soreness
To avoid muscle soreness, you need good fitness and sensible training planning that avoids overloading your muscles.
- Get your body used to new movements slowly and give it time to adapt
- Don't increase training volume and intensity too quickly
- After injuries or longer breaks, ease back in slowly – unused muscles break down
- Eat healthily before and after exercise, with minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and protein, and drink enough
- Warm up before training to avoid injuring "cold" muscles
- Stretch after training
What helps with muscle soreness?
No remedy has yet been found that shortens muscle soreness, and there's no effective medication. But there are measures that ease the symptoms.
Rest the affected muscles. If you still want to train, swimming, water exercises or light jogging are suitable – or sessions that don't load the affected muscle groups.
Heat is very important for muscle soreness: it increases blood flow and helps remove waste products. Walks, warm baths with rosemary or pine-needle extracts, arnica or eucalyptus ointments, sauna sessions and rubbing with camphor spirit all help.
Home remedies backed by studies
- Ginger – according to a University of Georgia study, an alternative to painkillers; fresh ginger has an anti-inflammatory effect
- Caffeine – according to another University of Georgia study, can reduce muscle pain; two cups of coffee are said to help
- Cherry juice – sour cherries are said to have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce the drop in performance
- Fluids and nutrients – drinking enough plus carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and protein support recovery
Minerals at a glance
Sodium
Sodium doesn't help with muscle soreness. Since salt is used in cooking, a healthy body has enough. Only highly trained athletes at their limit need extra sodium because of extreme sweating.
Potassium
Potassium is essential for building muscle – too little can promote pain in the legs. It's best combined with magnesium. With light training, your diet covers the need (4–5 g a day); beginners in endurance sports should take in up to 10 g. Potassium widens the blood vessels and so improves the oxygen supply to the muscles.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is an important energy supplier and increases muscle performance. The body needs adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to supply the muscles with energy. When it breaks down into adenosine monophosphate (AMP), energy is released to the muscles – this helps damaged muscles heal better and shortens the suffering.
Conclusion
- Muscle soreness is caused by micro-tears in the muscle fibres, not by lactate
- The muscle protects itself because training was too intense, too long or unfamiliar
- Massage it away or train through it? No – that only increases the risk of injury
- Helpful: circulation-boosting ointments, sauna, warm baths with essential oils and light movement
- After a hard workout, simply take a break
