Muscle fever – causes, regeneration, prevention

Muscle fever or soreness is probably not unknown term for you either, since you are on blog focused on fit lifestyle. Have no worries, if it appears sometimes, it doesn't mean you are doing something wrong, because it is common phenomenon. But definitely better is to minimize its risk – for example also so that it doesn't disrupt regularity of your trainings and possibility to perform physical activity fully.

 

Causes of muscle fever

If you start being interested in this topic little more intensely, you will feel that unequivocal cause of muscle fever is not clarified yet. Most often however you will encounter theory of accumulated lactic acid in muscles. Sports doctors lean rather towards different opinion, and claim that muscle fever arises in 2 ways:

1. by micro-injuries and tears in muscle fibers,
2. by inflammation due to increased calcium level.

Practically however it is irrelevant what causes muscle fever. Your goal should be single thing: muscle regeneration.

 

What for muscle fever?

Symptoms of muscle fever are reduced by any intervention that stimulates blood circulation in affected area of muscles. This helps not only with breaking down lactic acid, but also with treatment of micro-injuries:

• warm wet compress,
• hot bath (or warm and cold shower),
• sauna,
• various "sports creams", which through their active substances reduce inflammation and help muscle regeneration,
• gentle massage of affected area,
• loose clothing in affected area.

Some foods are also said to have beneficial effects thanks to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant components, for example:

• banana (due to high potassium content),
• sour cherry juice,
• apple juice,
• apple cider vinegar,
• and effervescent tablets containing various minerals,
• magnesium and vitamin B6 have beneficial effect also on tense muscles.

 

Muscle regeneration – is it possible with exercise?

Many people ask question whether it is appropriate to continue training if muscle fever visits. We cannot clearly declare that every expert holds the same opinion. But unequivocal is that in majority are those who do not consider movement harmful even with painful muscle fever.

We agree that you shouldn't avoid movement in such case. But it is important not to forget that primary goal is muscle regeneration, and therefore load during exercise should be even, gradual and gentle. Painful muscles need to be protected from further injuries. Suitable types of physical activity are swimming, walking or slow and light stretching.

 

Prevention of muscle fever

What else could be better for muscle fever than no muscle fever? We have 3 tips for you how you can prevent it:

1. Have clear training structure

Before every training treat yourself to at least five to ten minutes to warm up muscle group you want to work on. Very important is gradualness, not starting to exercise "abruptly", as well as respecting limits of your body. Rule should also be stretching for period of at least five minutes immediately after training .

After every longer break in training or regular exercise, or at its beginning it is definitely better if structure of your training is planned by expert.

Complex training plan for 6 weeks

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Your new SELF

 

2. Watch out for lost fluid

During trainings lot of water leaves body. If it is not against rules of given exercise (for example Ashtanga yoga), drink between individual parts of training. After it immediately reach for bottle of water and take care of rehydration of your organism. Necessary is to pay attention to correct fluid intake also in following days after exercise. It pays off also to replenish lost proteins and carbohydrates for example with milk.

 

3. Supplement magnesium

Magnesium affects condition of muscles, metabolism of muscles and bones, increases muscle mass, alleviates muscle cramps, so it can help also with muscle fever. Among natural sources of magnesium belong fish, spinach, legumes and whole grain products.

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