Do you know how to overcome good pains and bad pains during and after any workout?
A very well-known motivational phase we all listen to in the fitness world is “no pain, no gain” because every athlete is aware that each exercise will bring some discomfort to their body. When increasing the strength of muscles or stamina, the muscles must experience stress or “the burn” more than usual during that movement. It is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and is commonly known as muscle soreness.
DOMS occurs due to the stress exertion on the muscles during any exercise. Generally, it starts within 6-8 hours after any new or change in physical activity. This pain or soreness is due to the inflammation in the muscles, which usually lasts up to 24-48 hours after the exercise. It is most likely to face DOMS after one of the following:
- If you have started any exercise or workout program for the very first time.
- Change of exercises, postures, or activities other than your routine workout.
- Intensify any exercise that you have already done. i.e. more number of repetitions or increasing the speed or amount of the weight lifting.
- Without a sufficient rest break, you tend to perform the same activity over and over again.
Unfortunately, most people do training and workouts without professional supervision. For this reason, it is difficult for them to distinguish between good pain and bad pain, especially the newbies. Moreover, they are unaware of the counteractions that need to implement to avoid such pain and turn them into benefits. This article will let you know how to identify and counteract this soreness which may become a hurdle in achieving your gym goals.
GOOD PAINS
In simple, good pains lead you to gains while the bad ones indicate that something is not right and you have to stop or fix it. When you start following a workout regime, your first session goes very well with a proud feeling proud of your performance. But when you wake up the next day, you barely get out of the bed because of the muscle soreness in your body. But you must know if it’s a good one or a bad one. Few signs of good pains are as under:
- If the burn in the muscle is mild and doesn’t last longer than a day.
- It should be self-resolving with no need to get down from the workout after this episode of soreness.
Athletes and gym lovers are always concerned about muscle soreness, but the good news is that this mild burn is a sign that the muscles are getting stronger. The stretch and stress exerted during any exercise break the muscle fibers. They become more powerful and larger than before as they repair themselves. So never think about quitting your exercise on experiencing any muscle soreness after the first day and try giving your level best for the few initial days because your body will heal and build stronger naturally and you will be thanking your muscles lately.
It seems like this mild soreness is a positive thing. On the contrary, severe muscle soreness can be damaging and dangerous. Therefore, it’s essential to differentiate to prevent any muscle injury on time.
BAD PAINS
Unfortunately, someone can be injured while playing sports or workout due to accidents, poor training practices, or improper gear. Some people who are not in shape or having a non-flexible body type are more likely to get hurt. Not warming up or stretching enough can also lead to injuries. You can categorize the cautious and alarming pains when you experience these signs:
- If this pain is a hurdle to carry out your daily life activities like walking or sleeping, this seems like the exercise was too much.
- If the distress takes more than 72 hours to ease, it looks like the exercise is pushing your limits and leading you to long-term muscle fatigue.
- If you experience the pain during or right after the exercise, don’t consider this ordinary. It reflects that this exercise is challenging and not suitable for your physique. Such pain is a clear indication from your body to stop the activity right away before any muscle or joint damage occurs to you.
- Experiencing fever with chills or excessive sweating at night is unusual.
- If you found any of your stressed areas turning black or blue over time, it indicates the blood vessel damage possibly due to any structural injury.
- In extreme cases, the muscle breakdown is of such an extent that it brings severe illness due to permanent muscle damage, releasing proteins into the bloodstream and harm your kidneys. It is identified by dark-colored or decreased production of urine.
It is highly recommended to seek medical attention on experiencing any of the above-mentioned signs upon following any physical workout or injury causing muscle soreness. Therefore, it is suggested to progress slowly and gradually during any workout regime to prevent this problem.
RELIEVE TO THE SORENESS
Some best ways to relieve muscle soreness seem strange to you, but they work well. At first, the treatment for any ache caused by any particular exercise is to cut back on that exercise for a certain period. Other suggested treatments for DOMS are numerous and include pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies, stretching, massage, nutritional supplements, and many more.
The primary care usually suggested for soft tissue injuries is R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). These actions decrease the rate of metabolism significantly and reduce the swelling, inflammation, formation of edema, and vascular permeability (1).
Placing an ice pad on the burning area and massage for 20 minutes is an effective treatment for the long run. It can be applied for several weeks as it decreases muscle swelling and inflammation. Consider ice as your friend during your fitness journey but according to research, it provides very little aid in preventing and treating DOMS (1).
Moreover, doing some gentle stretches or walk is surprisingly relieving because the more your muscles stay active, the faster your discomfort will be removed. For athletes, maintaining stamina is essential when on the resting period, so it is recommended to perform other exercises which are not causing pain. For example, if somebody is having pain in their knees or feet, it’s quite acceptable to continue performing the exercises with upper body or even lower body exercises that don’t trigger the discomfort.
It is also recommended to increase your Magnesium (Mg) intake if you are an athlete or do workouts and exercise on a daily basis which has also been proved from a very current research study that taking Mg supplementation (350 mg per day, 10 days) has significant effects in reducing muscle soreness and evidently impacts on positive performance (2).
Whey protein isolates (WPI) and its hydrolyzed (WPIHD) supplements are consumed by athletes and sportspersons in routine. These supplements are a good source of protein and help them to build a lean body mass. But did you know that it can also be effective in muscle healing? According to a research study, when consumed 25 g of WPI, repeated 1, 2, 6, and 24 h later by a training session showed ∼23% decreased muscle stress. It is evident that WPIHD may be a befitting supplement aiding athletes to revive from fatiguing exercise and speed up the process of tissue and muscle repair (3).
Many athletes and sportspersons are familiar with this research finding that caffeine in-take immediately before any resistance workout enhances their performance. Recently it has been proved that it is also beneficial for lowering muscle soreness on the 2nd and 3rd day of the exercise when consumed right after the exercise session. This finding can allow individuals to immensely increase their number of training spells by reducing muscle soreness and relieving pain (4).
The fastest way to cure muscle aches and soreness are to use over-the-counter pain medications or anti-inflammatory agents. It includes ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, aspirin, and diclofenac are effective in decreasing pain and swelling. But these medications are recommended only after following the labeled instructions and must be prescribed by your trainer or physician because if the person has any contraindications, it might become a problem for him. For such people, Therefore, it is suggested to apply some topical or on-site muscle relaxant cream, gel, or rubs on the affected area.
Therefore, we bring you a very effective formulation of muscle relaxant named Rumol cream is your everyday companion for pain relief. Whether it’s a sports injury, joint pain, backache, or sore muscles, Rumol cream works fast for a pain relief effect that lasts for hours. Formulated with the best aromatic herbal oils, it reduces inflammation and provides warm and soothing relief from pain. This formulation is composed of ingredients including wintergreen oil, menthol, camphor, and eucalyptus oil which are backed up with scientific evidence for the relieving effect of muscles and joints.
Wintergreen Oil has a sweet, minty aroma and contains a unique chemical component called methyl salicylate. This chemical has strong soothing properties and is well known for its ability to reduce pain and inflammation.
Menthol has been used for pain relief since ancient times, famous for its minty cooling sensation, menthol is the tried and tested ingredient for relieving aches, pain, sprains, sore muscles, and stiff joints. It has also been proved from a research study that as compared to ice, topical analgesic cream based on menthol tends to decrease the DOMS extent more effectively (5).
Camphor comes from the aromatic camphor tree. When used topically, camphor initially produces a cooling sensation, which soothes inflammation, redness, irritation, and muscular aches and pains. This cooling effect is followed by a gentle heating sensation. Applying camphor to the skin helps to relieve pain and inflammation.
Eucalyptus Oil is a natural wonder due to its powerful anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. According to research studies, eucalyptus essential oil can help soothe away the pains and discomfort caused by arthritis.
In summary, if you experience any pain after exercise, you should rest or minimize that movement triggering the pain. Ice the affected body part, keep moving the burning muscle but don’t apply pressure on it. Apply over-the-counter medicines to handle the inflammation and pain. Add magnesium, caffeine, and whey protein supplements to your diet for better results. If your pain is not getting better by the time with these things, you should consult any health care professional for proper medications and assessment.
REFERENCES
- Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness : treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Med. 2003;33(2):145-64.
- Reno AM, Green M, Killen LG, O’Neal EK, Pritchett K, Hanson Z. Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Muscle Soreness and Performance. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2021.
- Buckley JD, Thomson RL, Coates AM, Howe PR, DeNichilo MO, Rowney MK. Supplementation with a whey protein hydrolysate enhances recovery of muscle force-generating capacity following eccentric exercise. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2010;13(1):178-81.
- Hurley CF, Hatfield DL, Riebe DA. The Effect of Caffeine Ingestion on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2013;27(11):3101-9.
- Johar P, Grover V, Topp R, Behm DG. A comparison of topical menthol to ice on pain, evoked tetanic and voluntary force during delayed onset muscle soreness. International journal of sports physical therapy. 2012;7(3):314.
WEBSITE LINKS
https://www.kidney.org/content/understanding-muscle-soreness-%E2%80%93-how-much-too-much
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/orthopaedic-surgery/about-us/ask-the-experts/pain.html
https://internationalpain.org/5-differences-between-good-pain-and-bad-pain-during-workout
https://medlineplus.gov/sportsinjuries.html
Written By : Maha Qasim