Muscle soreness.

What is sore muscles?

And how does it arise?

Sore muscles usually occur after unfamiliar, intense physical exertion. This results in microscopic muscle fiber tears, which are accompanied by bleeding and inflammatory reactions, which trigger the pain of the muscle soreness. The pain only sets late after about 12 to 72 hours and can last up to a week. A sore muscle usually occurs without significant permanent damage and results in a regeneration of the muscle structures, which triggers adaptation reactions. No more muscles are built up, but the cross-section of the muscle fibers is increased (hypertrophy). It is important to know that muscle soreness is not always an indication of an effective, healthy training, because a muscle soreness with severe pain and movement restrictions is a sign of overload or can also be due to a technically unclean exercise.

What helps against sore muscles?

Sore muscles are not only unpleasant, but also painful and can lead to movement restrictions in everyday life. There are various measures that can reduce the extent of muscle soreness. Movement - Similar to other injuries, a short protection is highly recommended. Nevertheless, light movements such as cycling can reduce pain and promote the regeneration of muscle fibers. Heat and cold - Heat treatments such as saunas or hot baths can effectively promote regeneration by promoting blood circulation. Cold applications are useful directly after the physical exertion in order to counteract the sore muscles. Massage - Activating, moderate sports massages can have a relaxing effect on the stressed muscles and thereby reduce the extent of muscle soreness. Stretching - By light, passive stretching during regeneration, the pain of the muscle soreness can be reduced for a short time. Too intense stretching, however, causes muscle soreness and can increase muscle complaints. Unfortunately, sore muscles can hardly be prevented, so it is advisable to adjust the intensity of the training accordingly after a longer training break or with unfamiliar movement performances and to increase it in small steps.