What to Take for Sore Muscles After Workouts?
Strenuous physical activities like intense workouts and prolonged training often result in muscular pain and inflammation. Over-the-counter medicines relieve this pain but do not reduce muscle stiffness. Here arises a question: what do you need to take for sore muscles to avoid physical burnout?
If you suffer from muscle soreness after a workout and are looking for effective recovery methods, you’re at the right place. Here, we will discuss some effective pain-relieving methods that also treat muscle soreness.
How to Recover from Sore Muscles Naturally?
Many natural strategies are best for sore muscles, which you need to try before moving towards medication:
- Natural Pain Relievers
In the market, there are different flavored gummies for pain relief like CBG gummies that you can take for muscle fatigue after a strenuous training session. These supplements are herbal extracts that help in muscle relaxation and repair. These gummies also have anti-inflammatory properties that make them effective for arthritis patients as well.
- Body Massagers
Various massage therapy devices, like machine guns, foot massagers, and rollers are highly recommended for muscle recovery after workouts. They provide quick relief by relaxing muscle tissues and reducing inflammation and stiffness with vibration and percussion. Most athletes prefer them because their usage is completely safe if you follow all the guidelines. They also treat the root cause of muscle soreness by improving blood circulation and softening of tissues.
- Hot or Cold Therapies
Both hot and color therapies are effective for muscle fatigue. For cold theory, ice packs and cooling gels are available to reduce inflammation by reducing blood circulation in the affected area. They are highly effective for sprains and strains and reduce the intensity of chronic pain.
Moreover, hot therapies are best for treating muscle stiffness by improving blood flow to the affected area. If you are not suffering from inflammation but only muscle stiffness, using heat pads or hot towels is the right solution.
- Healthy Food
Various natural foods, such as watermelon, pomegranate, and beet juice, are helpful in speeding up muscle recovery. Along with fruits, protein shakes, eggs, and other dairy products are highly recommended for athletes to deal with muscle fatigue in their routine. Moreover, tart cherry juice, turmeric powder, and nuts are famous for their anti-inflammatory properties, and you should consume them right after workouts.
- Using Essential Oils
Topical essential oils like lavender, rosemary, peppermint, etc., may have the ability to relieve muscle pain and inflammation. They have anti-inflammatory properties and deeply penetrate skin tissue for rapid recovery. However, some people find them irritating, which results in skin allergies. So, it is recommended to use them in diluted form by adding carrier oils according to personal choice. To enhance the effect, you may add hot or cold compresses with these oils.
Do Painkillers Help with Sore Muscles?
Yes, different medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are effective in relieving muscular pain. However, they do not treat the root cause and only lessen the pain by sending signals to the brain. Prostaglandins are chemicals that inform the brain about body aches, but their production is reduced with the use of different painkillers.
Regular use of aspirin or ibuprofen is not recommended as it will adversely affect the muscle’s natural repair capability. Also, these medications can damage the liver, kidneys, heart, etc., if taken continuously. So, we can say that painkillers only relieve pain sensations but don’t treat muscle soreness in the true sense.
Bottom Line
Too much reliance on painkillers results in digestive issues and other side effects in the long run. So, you must consider natural and risk-free ways to treat muscle stiffness, such as massagers, essential oils, etc.
