Who has not suffered from soreness at some point? The athlete's biggest enemy at the beginning of the season, the gym beginners that makes many of them give up on the second day, the one that crushes the popular runners after a day of high intensity training. Well, today we will tell you everything you need to know about them, what they are and how you can reduce them.
We all know that exercise is not always a bed of roses, especially at first. There are many positive points when we start exercising: we sleep better, we feel more energetic, our mood improves, etc. But there are also not so positive points that often led us to give up at the first opportunity, such as delayed onset muscle pain (DMAT) , better known as soreness .
Why do I have soreness?
Soreness appears when a person performs exercises that they have not done before or when the intensity , duration or type of physical activity to which they are not accustomed increases. They are a completely normal consequence that even elite athletes suffer in the preseason phase. We have to get used to the idea that after a long break without exercising, soreness is inevitable because the body relaxes and has a hard time regaining its previous muscle tone .
Technically, soreness is not an injury. After overexertion, small fibrillar micro-tears occur in the muscles. As the body recovers and repairs, pain and stiffness are experienced, that is, soreness appears. So we can say that soreness is nothing more than a consequence of muscle repair .
Although we can have soreness anywhere on the body, they are most common in the legs , arms , back and abdomen .
Shoelaces. Are they good or harmful?
We would all love to never suffer from soreness but... Are they useful for anything? Are they harmful to health? Well, neither one thing nor the other.
Although they are not good as such, they do not represent a serious problem and, in fact, being a symptom that our muscles are recovering from those small micro-tears mentioned, having soreness is a symptom of good functioning and recovery or that we have worked our muscles effectively. Some athletes and fitness enthusiasts even consider them a sign of progress and that they are pushing their limits.
Furthermore, with the appearance of soreness, the body also gives us a warning that we must lower the intensity for a while, which can prevent major problems such as injuries, so, as they say, there is no harm. May it not come for good.
With laces, can you exercise?
When you're sore, the last thing that usually comes to mind is exercising again the next day, and there are even many people who recommend total rest to recover. But really, the most effective way to reduce soreness is to exercise again.
As long as the pain is not unusually severe or persists for a prolonged period of time, light exercise and moderate physical activity may be beneficial in reducing the intensity of the soreness .
With certain precautions such as adjusting the intensity, duration of training, or type of activity, exercising with laces can help improve blood flow to affected muscles and may reduce feelings of stiffness and discomfort over time.
Soreness after 24 hours
Normally, soreness does not appear as soon as you finish the exercise, but rather it usually takes a while. Generally soreness, also known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DMAT), begins to appear between 12 and 48 hours after exercise, with 24 hours being a common time to feel the effects.
This delay in the onset of pain is due to the way the body recovers and repairs after intense physical exertion. As we have already mentioned before, during exercise, small micro-tears occur in the muscle fibers, and when the body recovers and repairs these injuries, local inflammation can occur, which gives rise to the sensation of pain and stiffness characteristic of laces
Sore after two days
Is it normal to have soreness after two days? The answer is yes . We have already pointed out that soreness appears between 12 and 48 hours after exercise.
The soreness that appears after two days is a product of the fact that some of the proteins that are destroyed during some exercises have an approximate cycle of 48 hours and therefore the muscles begin to recover after this period of time.
Generally, these delayed onset muscle soreness (DMAT) disappear on their own within a few days. To relieve discomfort, you can do gentle stretching, stay well hydrated, and apply heat or ice to the affected area depending on what is most comforting.
Remember that everyone is different and may have different levels of exercise tolerance and may experience soreness at slightly different times.
How to remove arm laces
To relieve soreness in your arms, you can follow these recommendations that will help speed up the recovery process and reduce pain and stiffness:
Active rest: Active rest is essential for recovery. After intense effort, the body needs to recompose itself correctly, so it is highly recommended to never stop completely but to lower the intensity to give the muscles a rest.
Stretching: Stretching helps muscles return to their pre-workout shape, preventing more severe soreness by improving flexibility and reducing muscle tension .
Massage: Massage will help improve circulation and relax muscles . You can use your hands or use a self-massage ball or an electronic device like the WaveSolo from Theragun .
Heat: Applying heat to affected areas will help relax muscles and relieve feelings of stiffness . You can try a hot bath or thermal pad on the affected area.
Hydration: As we already mentioned in our previous blog about hydration , water is essential for muscles to function correctly and recover from the most intense efforts as quickly as possible.
How to remove leg laces
Soreness in the legs, along with those in the arms, are the most typical, and since it is such a common area in which these discomforts are suffered, over the years specific products have been created to combat them, such as muscle recoverers or vibrating machines . However, it is important to understand their limitations and not consider them as a definitive solution .
Starting with muscle recoverers , we find two types: foam rollers , and electronic massage devices . With both options you will have unlimited massages wherever and whenever you want, in addition to helping you improve blood flow , tissue flexibility and reduce muscle tension , thus improving soreness. The main and clear difference is that electronic massage devices such as the Theragun Wave Roller are electronic devices that must be charged and that, thanks to the powerful vibration therapy and an innovative wavy texture , will help you release tension efficiently.
Foam rollers, on the other hand, are simple foam rollers of different sizes , densities and textures , thanks to which they can provide different levels of intensity in the massage. This option may be less “aggressive” since the intensity will be greater or less depending on the pace and pressure exerted manually.
Vibration machines , also known as vibration platforms, are devices that generate mechanical vibrations that are transmitted to the user's body while standing or performing exercises on the platform. These machines have been used in fitness and physical therapy for a variety of purposes, and there is some evidence to suggest that they may have some benefits in relieving soreness and improving muscle recovery.
Knowing that we should not consider these recuperators as a magic solution for soreness, it is important that we also continue to focus on rest , gentle stretching , adequate hydration , application of heat or cold , and low-intensity physical activity .
Get sore without exercising
Although the most common thing is for soreness to appear after exercise, they are not only linked to physical effort .
It must be taken into account that whenever any muscle in the body is over-tense, the muscle fibers can break, causing soreness without necessarily involving the fact of exercising. So there are other factors why these small ailments can also appear, such as spending a long time in a position , repetitive movements , hormonal changes or even stress .
There are also other causes such as the side effect of drugs that cause muscle fatigue, transmitting a sensation very similar to soreness with the same symptoms.
In short, we must all learn to deal with soreness , both professional athletes and those who are not used to playing sports, but we can speed up their recovery using the tips that we have mentioned during the blog.