Muscle soreness is a feeling of discomfort or pain in the muscles, often described as a dull ache or tightness. During intense exercise, especially eccentric contractions (when muscles lengthen while contracting), tiny tears can occur in muscle fibers. The body's natural response to repair these micro tears involves inflammation, which can cause pain and soreness.
Athletes speak
Members of the State football team at the recently held National Games were very clear about what helped them after the matches. Joseph Clemente says, “After every match, I used an ice pack. It helps numb the affected area and reduces whatever pain you might feel. It does wonders and I have to thank the team physio for this.” Another member of the team, Jobem Cardoso said that anyone in the team who experienced any discomfort would use an ice pack or even go for a dip in the ice bath.
What trainers suggest
Sunil Karmalkar, who owns a gym said, “Stretching is very important, it is a microscopic tear in the muscle fibre and that’s why the body is sore. When you stretch the blood flows and the lactic acid is flushed out. In a couple of days, the muscle will be fine. We are very firm about stretching out before a workout session. It does wonders for the body.”
Anisha Singh says in Pilates, the movements help in blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles with their stretching and stabilizing movements. She says “This helps in recovery from muscle soreness or muscle stuffiness. We allow the muscle to recover while they are in the active stage. We need movement which is very important to sort our soreness. The food diet and food sleep helps. The movement of Pilates is very mindful and we don’t do exercises that elevate the heart rate.”
Health experts recommend
Dr Riddhi Sampat, a physiotherapist in Panjim says that physiotherapy is always the best way to deal with a sore muscle. She says, “An ice pack or ultrasound can be used. If a muscle becomes weak then the ultrasound helps it get better. Muscle soreness is called DOMS which can happen during exercise or sports activity. This happens due to muscle stress or excess of physical activity or tissue mobilisation. In such cases, we apply ice packs or do gentle movements. We apply an ice pack or a heat pack but it is usually an ice pack. We ask patients to take rest, which is important. ”
Dr Saiel R Naik, who is the physiotherapist of the state football team, who participated in the National Games, says that footballers experience a kind of soreness called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. This usually develops between 24-48 hours after the match. He says, “Players who have fine muscle activity and who exercise, do not get muscle soreness, they might experience some slight soreness. Coaches usually give some Vitamin C and E and protein supplements which are preventive approaches. This has been confirmed by research.”
The doctor says that after high intensity training sessions, he always looks for active recovery. This is done with slight jogging for 2 to 3 minutes. He also makes the players stretch the major muscles and take ice baths which helps prevent soreness. Myfacial release is also used to release muscles that are tight and sore. Sometimes, the players are made to wear tight compression garments. It also helps to prevent soreness. If the soreness is high then he uses ultrasound or tends which is a machine which gives therapeutic electric currents which helps the muscles.
How to recover from muscle soreness
Heat Therapy: Heat therapy can be effective for relieving muscle soreness by increasing blood flow, relaxing muscles,
and promoting
healing.
Gentle stretching: Gentle stretching helps to elongate muscles and improve their flexibility, reducing the stiffness and tightness that can contribute to muscle soreness.
Pilates: Pilates’ gentle movements and focus on controlled breathing help increase blood flow to muscles, which can help ‘rinse’ away some of the chemicals contributing to soreness.
Massage: Massage helps flush out metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid, that can contribute to muscle soreness and stiffness.
Cold Shower: When exposed to cold water, blood vessels in the skin constrict, reducing blood flow to the surface and potentially minimizing swelling and inflammation in the muscles.