Aching muscles are a given if you’re a martial artist. I have been training so long now that I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be completely free of muscle soreness. My body must hate me. Every time I recover from muscle soreness after a training session and my body is about to breathe a sigh of relief I go ahead and get sore all over again.
I like my body and don’t want it to fall out with me because I’m treating it like a crash test dummy so I do my best to take steps to try and reduce muscle soreness and speed up over-all recovery. My body would just as soon have me do something more sedentary with my spare time like knitting or stamp collecting but luckily (or unluckily, whatever the case may be) I have control over my body and it has to come along for the ride, albeit grudgingly (sometimes very grudgingly) at times. So here are five simple but effective ways to make the ride a bit easier.
1. Stretch at the end of every session. Muscle stretching at the end of a hard training session helps to prevent the build up of lactic acid, which is what causes the soreness the next day. Spend ten to twenty minutes going through some exercises, making sure to target all the muscles and relax deeply into the stretch. Be careful of over-stretching the muscles though.
2. Have a recovery shake straight after training. Most of you will know this, but I’ll say it anyway- having a protein/carbohydrate drink immediately after training will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for you to recover. You can buy these recovery drinks ready made or you can make them yourself (there are plenty of recipes on the web). If you don’t want to buy the more expensive products then chocolate milk is a good alternative. One large glass should be enough to replace lost nutrients and help your body on the road to recovery. And it tastes great too!
3. Take a cold shower after training. Alternating between hot and cold water while in the shower has the effect of expanding and contracting the blood capillaries in the muscles, thus squeezing out the lactic acid that has built up in them. Simply stand under a hot shower for one minute and then switch to cold for one minute. Do this about five times and most of the lactic acid should end up flushed out of the muscles. Always finish on cold.
4. Eat bananas. Bananas not only taste great and provide you with an instant carbohydrate boost they are also full of potassium, which helps to combat the effects of muscle soreness. They can be eaten any time, even during training for an energy boost, but one after training will provide you with the most value in terms of reducing soreness.
5. Drink plenty of water. Drink as much water as you can, a minimum of two litres a day, because it is important that your body stays hydrated at all times. Dehydration not only leads to headaches, tiredness and a lack of energy, it also brings on muscle soreness. A lot of the time when you feel sore it could just be your body’s way of telling you it’s thirsty. So drink plenty before, during and after a training session, as well as throughout the day. I have also heard of athletes adding small amounts of salt to their water during training and competitions as this supposedly counteracts muscle soreness. I should remind you that it can be dangerous to drink too much salt water so be very careful if you intend to try this out. No more than half a teaspoon per 500mls of water.
And there you have it. Five tried and tested methods that really reduce muscle soreness after training.
Make them a part of your training routine. You’ll be amazed at the difference they make and believe me, your body will thank for it too.
