There is generalized belief among enthusiasts of the fitness That, if pain is not experienced after exercising, the muscles are not progressing or working enough to strengthen them.
But pain does not equal progress, they say experts in physical exercise. In addition, constant pain is not something we should try.
“A very widespread erroneous idea is that pain means that training has been effective,” said Cedric Bryant, physiologist for the exercise and president of the American Council of the exercise. Although some pain is normal, it is not a requirement for muscle growth.
What do painful muscles mean?
Laura Richardson, physiologist for the exercise of the Kinesiology School of the University of Michigan, explained that when the muscles are sore one or two days after exercise, It is usually due to microscopic tears of muscle fibers, which can cause inflammation and pain.
He indicated that, as the muscles are repaired in later days, the discomfort disappears.
Although muscles usually strengthen after that pain, it is not essential to feel discomfort so that there is muscle growthBryant added. Many athletes do not feel pain after training, even if they continue to improve their physical form and increase their muscle mass.
“This doesn’t mean that training has been ineffective,” Bryant said. It is usually a sign that the muscles have adapted to a regular training routine and have become more efficient to handle the workload.
Instead of using pain as an effectiveness indicator, Bryant suggests observing progress as improvements in strength, resistance or visible muscle changes. If you manage to lift increasing weights or increase the duration or intensity of your cardiovascular exercises, it is a positive signal.
Excessive pain can even be counterproductive, he added. Since it is difficult to exercise with pain, this can worsen sports performance or increase the risk of injuries, especially if the discomfort is compensated by moving uninaturally. It is important to give the body time to repair, he said.
What to do when you are sore?
If you feel sore after training, consider reducing the intensity of your routine for a few days. Be sure to stay hydrated – with water or, if the training was especially long or intense, with a drink with electrolytes – since dehydration is associated with the cramps, said Vijay Jotwani, a medical sports medicine specialist at the Methodist Hospital of Houston, Texas.
If the discomfort is so strong that it interferes with your daily activities, It is valid to take an anti -inflammatory dose, such as ibuprofenhe added.
Gently massage sore muscles – surround them or rub them for 10 or 15 minutes – it can also be useful, Richardson added. In a systematic review of 2018, which analyzed 99 studies, the researchers concluded that massage is one of the most effective ways to reduce pain and muscle fatigue related to exercise. However, more research is needed.
According to scientists, other effective strategies include the use of compression garments in sore muscles and cold water baths for 10 or 15 minutes.
If you experience intense muscle pain or weakness hours or days after a very demanding training, or if your urine becomes brown or is scarce, it could be an unusual and potentially deadly condition called rhabdomyolysis. In that case, you must go to the emergency room, Jotwani warned.
When the muscles are only slightly sensitive or rigid, it is good to exercise them again with the same type of activity, but reducing the intensity, Bryant recommended. If the pain is more pronounced – that is, you can move, but with discomfort -, the ideal is to perform soft activities such as walking, swimming, doing yoga or low intensity resistance training (such as lifting light weights or exercises with body weight itself), to stimulate circulation and reduce rigidity.
Sometimes it can help “keep moving despite pain”, even if it is only a bit, Richardson said.
If the muscles hurt to the touch, there is limitation in the amplitude of movement or a significant decrease in force, it is best to give them more time to recover and take a day of rest, Bryant said.
“A good general rule,” he concluded, “is listening to your body.”