Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - what to do in advance?

[CZroe]

No question: I'm going to be paralyzed with muscle pain tomorrow. I just stayed up straight through the night running up and down several flights of stairs moving the contents of two upstairs apartments into a house. I wasn't in shape before and now even my fingers feel numb and noodly.

I'm still numb but I expect it to be debilitating. Is there anything I can do now to make it less intense later?

 

[moonbogg]

I'm no expert, but I say nope, you're screwed this time. You shocked the hell out of your muscles and they will hurt. Its ok though. It will be a good pain.

 

[cbrunny]

milk and bananas.

 

[SP33Demon]

No question: I'm going to be paralyzed with muscle pain tomorrow. I just stayed up straight through the night running up and down several flights of stairs moving the contents of two upstairs apartments into a house. I wasn't in shape before and now even my fingers feel numb and noodly.

I'm still numb but I expect it to be debilitating. Is there anything I can do now to make it less intense later?

You can roll the muscles with a roller stick, preferably within 8 hours of the workout, although it can still be effective to a lesser degree up to 24. A foam roller will work as well.

Ice areas that you think will be really sore, and eat a lot of protein + vitamins + BCAAs + anti-inflammatory supplements. I have a saying in powerlifting: "Eat the soreness away". Of course it probably won't help as much for the very first time you shock the muscles. But eggs, broccoli, fish, pineapple, bananas, whole milk, steaks, pulled pork, bacon etc are all money. Coconut oil and avocados are great for getting those essential fats in, hell even mayo and some fatty salad dressing are good in moderation. Just eat healthy and up the calories and your soreness will be reduced. However, if you're cutting then you're just gonna have to suck it up and regulate those calories.

One other thing, avoid stress as much as possible. Cortisol production = less testosterone you're going to have to mend those muscles.

 

[CZroe]

You can roll the muscles with a roller stick, preferably within 8 hours of the workout, although it can still be effective to a lesser degree up to 24. A foam roller will work as well.

Ice areas that you think will be really sore, and eat a lot of protein + vitamins + BCAAs + anti-inflammatory supplements. I have a saying in powerlifting: "Eat the soreness away". Of course it probably won't help as much for the very first time you shock the muscles. But eggs, broccoli, fish, pineapple, bananas, whole milk, steaks, pulled pork, bacon etc are all money. Coconut oil and avocados are great for getting those essential fats in, hell even mayo and some fatty salad dressing are good in moderation. Just eat healthy and up the calories and your soreness will be reduced. However, if you're cutting then you're just gonna have to suck it up and regulate those calories.

One other thing, avoid stress as much as possible. Cortisol production = less testosterone you're going to have to mend those muscles.

Thanks for the advice. I doubt I'll be able to get a foam roller soon and it's been more than 24 hours already (still haven't slept), but I'll try to improvise. I did already have a lot of stress at work (chased down some thieving a-holes) but I'm not exactly trying to bulk up.

 

[hightree]

I don't agree with above advice. Foam roller is intended for myofascial pain - that is chronic pain associated with muscle knots. I also don't know how and why would any food or supplement help.

Acute muscle soreness probably results from micro muscle injuries. A gentle stretching massage or light exercise, such as walking, may help reduce pain. If you can't walk, then don't. You can cover the muscles with warm compresses (not ice packs) several times a day.

http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-web-exclusive/why-delayed-onset-muscle-soreness-is-a-good-thing
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12617692

 

[Aristotelian]

I've wondered about this for a long time - because I'm in a sedentary job and I tend to do "on and off" training. I'll go hard at the gym for six months and after a few weeks I settle in, but that first week - I'll have up to 5 days of muscle soreness which I think qualifies as delayed onset muscle soreness.

I was wondering how to minimize this and hear all kinds of responses, including "stretching", but the pain and stiffness of the soreness prevents me from doing real stretching. I've also heard going to the sauna can help a lot - but again, I have only empirical experience with this.

I guess the problem with muscle shock is that - going to the gym for six months and doing weightlifting then taking six months off (in my case, due to work) means I'm starting from square one each time, which is a bit disheartening. So the only strategy I think I can come up with to deal with delayed onset muscle soreness is to stick with it, and prevent that significant shock from happening again.

 

[itsmydamnation]

rollers are the best. I have tendinosis/RSI in the forearms and my extensors fatigue ( IT job, guitar as a hobby). I find rolling like you do with foam roller but instead use a bottle of ICE, it works amazingly well. Especially when you can really dig it in to a sore spot get all the cold in there to help get muscle contraction and push out of the fluid/blood. Heat has never helped me.

 

[SP33Demon]

I don't agree with above advice. Foam roller is intended for myofascial pain - that is chronic pain associated with muscle knots. I also don't know how and why would any food or supplement help.

Acute muscle soreness probably results from micro muscle injuries. A gentle stretching massage or light exercise, such as walking, may help reduce pain. If you can't walk, then don't. You can cover the muscles with warm compresses (not ice packs) several times a day.

http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-web-exclusive/why-delayed-onset-muscle-soreness-is-a-good-thing
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12617692

And your link agreed with what I said:

Massage, microtherapy, icing, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, fish oil and i.Tonic whole body vibration are just a few methods that have been tried with varying degrees of success.

As for your 2nd link from 2003, get with the times. It has stupid shit like cryotherapy and ice not working... pop quiz, why do NFL players take ice baths after games now? lol

Roller stick is absolute money, I've been on a competitive powerlifting for years. I know what works for me/teammates/clients from actual field testing. It will reduce DOMS by 66% or more as long as it's in the first day of lifting, i.e. before the soreness hits. Foam rolling has a similar but not nearly as high a percentage because roller sticks are harder and really get in the muscle since you can use more force with your arms. Also, eating more will absolutely speed recovery, as will ice in the first 2 days and then heat for any subsequent days. And we haven't even gotten to supplementation yet with herbal blood thinners (stay away from NSAIDs), joint protectors, and cortisol suppressors plus electrical stim (TENS). However, that's more for the advanced crowd.

 

[x26]

*Ibuprofen-800 mg every 8 hours
* Magnesium-800-1000 mg per day
* Ice as Needed

 

[hightree]

And your link agreed with what I said:

As for your 2nd link from 2003, get with the times. It has stupid shit like cryotherapy and ice not working... pop quiz, why do NFL players take ice baths after games now? lol

Roller stick is absolute money, I've been on a competitive powerlifting for years. I know what works for me/teammates/clients from actual field testing. It will reduce DOMS by 66% or more as long as it's in the first day of lifting, i.e. before the soreness hits. Foam rolling has a similar but not nearly as high a percentage because roller sticks are harder and really get in the muscle since you can use more force with your arms. Also, eating more will absolutely speed recovery, as will ice in the first 2 days and then heat for any subsequent days. And we haven't even gotten to supplementation yet with herbal blood thinners (stay away from NSAIDs), joint protectors, and cortisol suppressors plus electrical stim (TENS). However, that's more for the advanced crowd.

The part you've quoted from Runners World does not say anything about effectiveness of any method.

Various foods, like broccoli..., being high in certain nutrients does not already mean they can help in acute muscle injuries. If those nutrients work, they would need to be taken in much greater doses, in supplement forms. Also is there any evidence from studies about that?

Ice baths right after the game probably can prevent something, like pain from stretched muscles or inflamed tendons, but do they prevent DOMS?

 

[SlitheryDee]

I find that about the best thing you can do in advance of DOMS is some light stretching and working of the muscle that you think is going to be sore the next day. Shortly before bedtime, stretch those muscles and then go for a short walk, then stretch some more. The next morning when the soreness is really setting in, do some more stretching and walking. You aren't going to get rid of it entirely, but you might be able to keep yourself from being completely hobbled by it.

 

[Deeko]

Just move. Soreness is worse when you don't move. Dynamic stretches of the area. Walk if its your legs. Foam rollers help. Ibuprofen doesn't really. Just keep the blood flowing and it will go away faster, you can't really stop it from coming.