You’ve been training hard and the next morning you really feel it: stiff, sore muscles that make even climbing the stairs suddenly feel like a real challenge. Muscle soreness is part and parcel of exercise, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. Below, you’ll find a straightforward explanation of what muscle soreness is, what you can do about it, and how nutrition affects your muscles.
What causes muscle soreness after exercise?
Muscle soreness that sets in a day or two after your workout is caused by tiny tears in your muscle fibres resulting from unusual or strenuous exercise. This is also known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and is usually harmless.
Contrary to popular belief, this delayed muscle soreness is not caused by lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced during intense exercise, but is broken down within about an hour after your workout. The pain you only feel the next day is part of the natural process in which your body repairs those micro-tears and rebuilds the muscle to make it stronger. The pain usually peaks between 24 and 72 hours after your workout and then subsides on its own.
What can you do about muscle soreness? 6 practical tips
There’s no switch you can flick to make muscle soreness disappear instantly, but you can ease the symptoms and reduce the likelihood of it occurring. The basics are simple: build up gradually, warm up properly, keep moving gently, drink plenty of fluids and get enough sleep.
- Warm up properly. Before exercising, take 5 to 10 minutes to warm up. Walk, jog or cycle gently so that your muscles and tendons reach the right temperature and the transition from sitting still to moving is smoother.
- Build up your training gradually. Muscle soreness mainly occurs during exercise your body isn’t used to. Therefore, increase the weight, duration or intensity step by step rather than all at once, so that your muscles have time to adapt.
- Finish with a cool-down. Ease off gently at the end of your workout with a few minutes at a slow pace. This helps your heart rate to drop gradually and your muscles to relax. Read more here: tips for better recovery after a workout.
- Keep moving gently. Complete rest might seem logical, but gentle movement is often more comfortable. A short walk or a gentle cycle keeps your blood flowing and can ease that stiff feeling.
- Alternate between heat and cold. Cold can numb pain and reduce swelling, whilst heat helps with stiff muscles. Many athletes find alternating between the two comfortable, so choose whatever feels best for you.
- Get enough sleep and drink plenty of water. Whilst you’re asleep, your body gets the rest it needs, so aim to get enough hours each night. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day.
How can you get rid of muscle pain quickly?
Honest answer: you can’t force muscle soreness to go away; it will subside on its own, usually within one to three days. What makes the discomfort more bearable in the meantime is light exercise, alternating between heat and cold, and staying well-hydrated.
There’s no quick fix for muscle pain. Give your muscles time to recover and avoid immediately putting a sore muscle group under heavy strain again. If the pain feels sharp or is localised to one side, or if it persists for longer than a week, have it checked by a doctor or physiotherapist, as it may not be ordinary muscle soreness.
Can protein or supplements help with muscle soreness?
Protein does not directly relieve muscle pain. However, protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. For those who train regularly, ensuring an adequate protein intake is therefore beneficial, regardless of the muscle pain itself.
Start with your diet. Dairy products, eggs, pulses, fish and whole grains are all good sources of protein, and for most people, a varied diet covers their daily requirements. You can find out exactly how much you need in ‘How much protein do you need each day?’. If you’re unable to get that amount from regular meals, protein powder is a practical supplement.
Minerals are also an important part of a healthy diet. Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. You’ll find it in foods such as pulses, nuts, seeds and green leafy vegetables. If you’d like to know exactly what magnesium does, read ‘What is magnesium and what does it do for your body?’. That said, keep a level head: no supplement can make muscle pain disappear. Supplements are there to fill in the gaps in your diet, nothing more than that.
Frequently asked questions about muscle soreness
How long does muscle soreness last after exercise?
Usually one to three days. The pain often only sets in 24 to 72 hours after exercise and then subsides on its own. If the pain lasts longer than a week or feels sharp and is on one side only, consult a doctor.
Can you exercise with muscle pain?
Light exercise is fine and often feels good. Give any muscle group that’s really sore a rest for a while and train a different muscle group in the meantime, or stick to a gentle walk. Don’t push yourself with a strenuous workout whilst your muscles are still tender.
Does magnesium help with muscle pain?
Magnesium is not a remedy for muscle pain. However, magnesium contributes to normal muscle function. This is why it should form part of a varied diet, so make sure you get enough magnesium through your diet rather than treating it as a painkiller.
Does not feeling sore mean you didn’t train hard enough?
No. Muscle soreness is not an indicator of an effective workout. As your body gets used to an exercise, you’re less likely to experience muscle soreness, whilst you’re still making progress. So, not having muscle soreness doesn’t mean your workout was pointless.
Carry on training gently
You don’t get rid of muscle soreness with a tub of supplements, but by building up gradually, getting enough sleep and staying well-hydrated. Nutrition is the foundation of this. If you’re struggling to get enough protein every day, a clean-label protein powder is a practical addition: take a look at our organic whey protein or the vegan vanilla variant from the protein collection, for example. If you also want to maintain your magnesium levels, take a look at our vegan magnesium glycinate (bisglycinate).
