How to Treat Muscle Fatigue from Training
Having muscle fatigue from training happens frequently to some athletes. Those who exercise at high intensities or do repetitive and exhaustive sessions are the most likely to suffer from it.
Muscle fatigue is the inability of one or more muscles to carry out an activity. In these cases, the muscle cells are depleted. Then, they can’t respond to the body’s orders to do an action.
In general, there are no permanent damages or injuries that cause it. Fatigue just reduces muscle capacity for a short time since it leaves the muscles weak and powerless.
Although it can happen in addition to sports, muscle fatigue is most common in people that exercise constantly. In addition, there are even steps athletes take that recognize the symptoms of fatigue. That way, they can keep training but at a different pace.
There are various chemical causes of muscle fatigue from training, which are linked to external causes. Beyond exercise, the other risk factors for the disorder are improper eating, dehydration, not stretching, and not sleeping well.
Chemical causes of muscle fatigue
Lactic acid causes muscle fatigue. Different scientific studies have proven that the decrease in the pH inside muscles transforms lactate into lactic acid. Therefore, it affects how muscles work.
Muscle contraction, which is important for exercising, has two parts: the nervous system and muscle fibers. The first sends orders to the second to perform a certain action.
When you repeat the contraction intensely, changes happen within the muscle cells, including a decrease in pH. Your pH is a number that measures how acidic a substance is. The lower the pH, the more acidic it is.
During intense and repetitive muscle contractions, the pH goes down. We can go from a pH of 7- neutral- at the start of an exercise to 6.1 near the end. This means that the muscles are more acidic on the inside.
In addition, intense exercise increases the amounts of inorganic phosphate and lowers the amount of calcium. In acidic environments, the muscle cells fail. Without calcium, they can’t contract.
Therefore, this causes muscle fatigue. In short, muscle fibers stop responding because they can’t contract.
Treatments from muscle fatigue
Once muscle fatigue has happened, it’s important to take certain steps to counteract the lack of strength and power. You won’t feel better immediately, but it can make the duration of pain or cramps shorter.
Some of the most useful things you can do are:
- Cold baths: if possible, you can submerge your muscles in very cold water. Some recommend alternating with hot water after a cold bath to simulate the contraction-relaxation process.
- Rest: important for muscle fatigue. Straining your muscles won’t help, and it could even lead to injury.
- Massages: massages are very useful. This way, the fibers relax and deflate when you work on them.
- Carbohydrate diet: muscles consume body sugar deposits to complete your exercise. From sugar comes immediate energy, and during intense exercises, it’s the source of power. Since muscle fatigue happens when all of these deposits have been consumed, it’s a good idea to eat carbs after working out.
Diet for training: a fundamental factor
Diet is very important for athletes. Muscles contract because of the substances they use to do it. Therefore, muscle fatigue is closely linked to bad eating habits.
Both right after workouts and as preventative measures, using certain nutrients controls discomfort and fatigue. The priority is to eat enough protein, carbohydrates, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids and magnesium.
Among fruits, bananas and citrus are the best. On the other hand, nuts such as walnuts also provide lots of energy and nutrients.
Finally, carbohydrates, as we’ve already explained, are the energy replacement for the glucose deposits. Of course, if you have any doubts, it’s best to talk to a nutritionist. He can give you a good diet plan according to your training.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Gómez-Campos, R., et al. Mecanismos implicados en la fatiga aguda. Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte/International Journal of Medicine and Science of Physical Activity and Sport 10.40 (2010): 537-555.
- Astrand, Per-Olof, et al. Manual de fisiología del ejercicio. (2010).
- Giraldo, José Carlos, and María Elena Sánchez. El lactato como posible factor del mecanismo de fatiga muscular. Colombia Médica 29.2, 3 (1998): 87-91.
