Training with sore muscles? Take a break from training or continue training?

Summary of this blog

The blog addresses the issue of muscle soreness in connection with training. Muscle soreness arises from microtraumas at the cellular level, caused by unusually high or prolonged exertion. These damages lead to inflammatory reactions and water retention, resulting in typical symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and reduced performance.

Although muscle soreness stimulates muscle growth, the body requires time and rest to repair the damaged tissue. There is no quick healing method, but some tips can alleviate pain and expedite recovery. Recommended approaches include light training, gentle stretching, and heat treatment. Massages, cold applications, and excessive consumption of animal protein have proven to be less effective.

The blog also discusses whether one should train with muscle soreness. The decision depends on the severity of the damage, with careful warm-up being crucial. In cases of severe muscle soreness, rest is advisable, as further training can prolong recovery time and lead to permanent damage.

Preventing muscle soreness involves gradually increasing the workload, monitoring magnesium intake, and exercising patience. Particularly vulnerable muscle groups, such as the muscles at the back of the thighs, should be specifically trained to ensure muscular balance. The blog concludes that while muscle soreness is not entirely avoidable and can even be beneficial in the muscle-building process, it is still worthwhile to prevent it for more effective long-term muscle development.

End of summary

After an intense Leg Day, the staircase railing suddenly transforms into an indispensable support, and even getting up from the toilet becomes a challenge – an unwelcome companion once again joins athletes: muscle soreness. Whether viewed as a nuisance or as confirmation of an effective training session, athletes' relationship with this phenomenon is characterized by ambivalence. But what lies behind the term "muscle soreness," what proven home remedies can alleviate its symptoms, and how can it be effectively prevented?

What is muscle soreness and how does it occur?

Physiologically, the term "muscle soreness" refers to microscopic traumas – tiny tears in the cell structure of muscle fibers. These arise from unusually high or prolonged exertion and intense stretching of a muscle. The resulting microscopic damage often leads to water retention and inflammatory reactions in the muscle tissue. The well-known symptoms of muscle soreness, such as movement and pressure pain, stiffness, tension, and reduced performance, manifest in the first one to two days after the strain.

Muscle soreness thus represents an actual muscle injury, specifically, an overload phenomenon. This occurs particularly when the body is exposed to new and high-intensity stimuli. This can happen, for example, when someone starts a new training regimen, resumes training after a longer break, or switches sports. Even new exercises in training can induce this effect because intramuscular coordination plays a significant role in overloading individual muscle fiber groups: During unusually intense movements, the individual units within a muscle do not yet work optimally together, quickly leading to certain parts being overstrained.

What helps against sore muscles?

In principle, muscle soreness promotes hypertrophy, the growth of a muscle, but it does not cause lasting damage and disappears on its own within a week at most – that's the encouraging message. Nevertheless, the body needs time and rest, especially to regenerate the damaged tissue. A universal remedy for rapid muscle soreness treatment does not exist as of now.

However, specific advice and proven home remedies can contribute to alleviating the pain and accelerating muscle recovery. Those who regenerate quickly can soon reintroduce training stimuli and thus gain strength and muscles rapidly.

It is advisable, in the case of muscle soreness, to opt for gentle training, such as light cycling or a moderate strength workout that does not excessively strain the affected areas. Movement increases blood circulation in the muscles and activates the metabolism in the cells that need repairing. Additionally, gentle static stretching and heat treatments, such as a warm bath or warm compresses, can help relax the muscles and make the pain more bearable.

On the other hand, massages and cold treatments, such as ice baths and cryotherapy, have proven to be less effective and supportive of regeneration. The excessive consumption of animal protein "for regeneration" tends to have the opposite effect, as it has been proven that meat and dairy products contain inflammatory substances that slow down the tissue healing process.

Beneficial for regeneration are anti-inflammatory plant substances from fresh fruits, vegetables (including onions), and herbs, as well as specific enzymes from plants like pineapple and papaya. Similarly, monounsaturated fatty acids, found, for example, in olive oil, play a supportive role. The amino acid lysine, crucial for muscle regeneration, is found in significant amounts in oats, tofu, and fish.

Exercising with sore muscles

Whether the musculature can cope with an additional, intense strength training largely depends on the intensity of the existing impairment: If, on the day after a workout, one only experiences a slight to moderate pulling sensation, there is the possibility of adding another day of training to intensify the effect of muscle enlargement.

However, it is particularly important to perform a thorough warm-up when training with muscle soreness, as pre-stressed muscles may be more susceptible to serious damage such as muscle fiber or muscle bundle tears. Additionally, it should be clear that on such a day, the muscle's full performance cannot be summoned – attempting to achieve a new personal best must therefore wait a few more days.

When we talk about a "century muscle soreness," characterized by pain while laughing, unbearable calves, and the occasional use of the elevator in the office to avoid the sympathetic looks of colleagues during stair climbing with thigh muscle soreness, the body indeed requires recovery. Training with intense muscle soreness not only leads to a longer recovery period but also poses the risk of permanent damage due to improper strain. The body automatically tries to avoid painful movements in case of injuries, leading to sloppy exercise execution and thus counteracting the goal of sustainable muscle building.

Prevent muscle soreness

To avoid potential muscle soreness, it is advisable to keep an eye on magnesium intake and gradually incorporate new stresses, gradually increasing the intensity. This preventive advice makes sense, especially because not only muscles but also tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and even bones require time to meet the demands of regular, intense training. However, as these mentioned components of the passive musculoskeletal system require multiples of the time compared to a muscle for adaptation – we are talking about months to years – there is a significant risk that the damage extends far beyond the - relatively easily repairable - muscle tissue.

Nevertheless, muscle soreness is not always avoidable: No matter how much weight a strength athlete lifts during squats or leg presses, it is likely that after a marathon or a steep descent during a mountain vacation, they will wake up with painful legs.

Therefore, the principle of "close your eyes and push through" applies: The most effective way to prevent painful muscle soreness is to have experienced it already during a specific movement. Through improved intramuscular coordination and the more stable reconstruction of damaged tissue, the body gradually adapts to the specific movement, soon reflecting in higher resilience and faster recovery ability.

Diverse and regular training, sufficient magnesium intake, and patience are thus the best measures against muscle soreness.

Vulnerable muscle groups

Particularly susceptible to muscle soreness are, on the one hand, muscle groups that tend to be neglected in training, and on the other hand, those that have a significant range of motion. A prime example of this is the muscles at the back of the thighs: The powerful quadriceps, a naturally strong muscle that is regularly engaged in everyday activities, plays a crucial role in various strength exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges. Its counterpart, the hamstring (also known as biceps femoris), is inherently less developed and is rarely fully utilized in normal life. To ensure a balanced muscular ratio, specific exercises are required to strengthen the hamstrings.

In addition to muscle soreness, this muscle group is also prone to muscle cramps, further complicating training. It can be helpful to ensure an adequate intake of magnesium and regularly stretch the muscles.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether it is enthusiastically welcomed or viewed with aversion, muscle soreness is not only challenging to avoid and treat in the muscle-building process but can also serve as a significant growth stimulus for the muscle.

Nevertheless, it is advantageous to prevent muscle soreness whenever possible, as this allows for more frequent training stimuli to be applied to a muscle within a specific timeframe. This could prove to be the more effective approach for muscle development in the long run.