How to reduce the pain after training

By Carlos Crespo (Special to ChulucanasGym)

 

    The athletes can confirm it – just few or nothing compares to release adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine during a good training session at the gym. The endorphins really unchain a positive sensation similar to the effects of morphine, a powerful opioid used to relieve the pain. But the hard training often leaves achy muscles. This is called late appearance muscle pain. It’s belief this pain is caused by the microscopic damage of the muscular fibers during the exercise.

 

The muscular pain induced by the exercise is a normal physiological response that has nothing to do with the physical performance level of a person. The muscular alteration or injury produces mainly during the excentric or negative phase of an exercise. For example, when you go down a slope or when you rest a weight after lifting it up.

 

The excentric exercises often result into a proportional increase of the muscular pain, because the tension locates in a smaller transversal muscular region compared to the concentric exercises, for example, lifting up weights flexing the biceps. The increase of tension damages the muscular fibers, and as a result, it causes pain between 24 to 48 hours after the training.

 

    In the other hand, quitting to all physical activity can last the muscular pain after the exercise. Then, doing light intensity activities may be very good on the days when you feel pain.

 

Although the lapse and the intensity of the muscular pain are widely different, the symptoms trend to disappear after 72 hours. Also, you can take many measures in terms of lifestyle and diet for making less exhausting to go up the stairs the day after your training session:

• Having the adequate nutrition is the most important factor to reduce the pain and to promote the reccuperation and muscular development. It has been proven that eating the adequate nutrients before and after the exercise helps to reduce the muscular pain when influencing on the inflammatory response and the oxidative stress. The food rich in Omega-3 fat acids, taurine, and polyphenol are particularly very good. Plus, an incorrect feeding can eases the liquid retention and causing pain in the legs, especially in women. Do you know the linfaticdrainage in those cases?
• Your essential morning coffee makes more than to stimulate your alert status. The caffeine also has the virtude to reduce the pain perception during the exercise, and it is also an effective  nutritional complement to reduce the muscular pain coming from the physical activity.
• The turmeric, a basic species in Southern-Asian cuisine, is very known by its active medicinal component, the curcumin, which anti-inflamatory and analgesic properties help to relieve the muscular pain.
• The hydrotherapy, that is a speciality inside the physiotherapy, is one of the most popular post-workout treatments. It has been proven that the immersion in cold water (under 15°C or 59°F), in particular, reduces significantly the muscular fatigue perceived and the pain, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after the exercise compared to passive interventions based upon the rest time.
• Contact your doctor if necessary. Any type of exercise brings some injuries risk within. If you experience some sensation that seems to be different to the habitual muscular pain, like inmediate pain that becomes disabling, an intense swelling in the tips, or a dark colorization of urine, ask a health specialist.

 

Carlos Crespo is a sports physiotherapist in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), Spain. For further information, you can ask him right here.

 

Also check out:

• If it pains you, work out again
• Should you have a massage?