Does Soreness Mean Muscle Growth?
Muscle soreness after a workout is a shared experience. You can have sore muscles, especially after intense training.
The soreness of the muscles comes from minor damage or tears to the muscle fibres [1].
When damage occurs, the body will try to repair it. However, this does not necessarily mean muscle growth.
The process of muscle growth is long and does not demand extensive damage to the muscle [1, 2]. After the adaptation phase, you will perform many exercises without significant soreness after them.
Muscle soreness is a natural consequence of exercise. It is followed by muscle rebuilding. However, sore muscles are more an indicator of damage than muscle growth.
Why Do I Have Sore Muscles After A Workout?
Experiencing sore muscles after a workout is a common sign of muscle adaptation to physical activity.
Immediately after training, you can have sore muscles because metabolites build up inside the muscle [3]. It will take some time before blood flashes them out. However, this type of immediate pain resolves quickly.
The most common soreness in the muscles is the one you get the following day. This muscle pain comes directly from the damage and tears of the fibres [3].
Also, connective tissue damage, like small tears in the ligaments, can contribute to the pain you can experience on the day [3].
Depending on your condition and the type of exercise you did, the duration of the pain can vary. Generally, you should start feeling less pain no later than after three days [3].
How does muscle soreness after a workout spread?
Normally, the pain after your training starts at the ends of the muscles. From there, it spreads to the center of the muscle.
What is DOMS?
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) describes the phenomenon following a sudden increase in exercise intensity or new exercise. It is the pain that you get the next day after a hard training session [2].
Signs of DOMS include:
- Reduced force
- Increased painful limitation of movement
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Dysfunction of joints [5].
The development of the symptoms is typically delayed. The peak occurs two to three days after the exercise [5].
Is DOMS A Sign Of Muscle Growth?
DOMS is part of the general soreness of the muscles after training. Therefore, DOMS is also more of an indicator of muscle damage than muscle growth.
How Can My Muscles Grow Faster?
To grow muscles faster, you will need a combination of factors. The most important factors for muscle growth are:
- Consistent training
- Proper nutrition
- Adequate rest
Scientifically, resistance training is a critical factor in muscle growth. Even 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week of weight training is enough to see results [6].
Choosing the correct weight is also essential. Everyone is different. You should always listen to your body. You can lift good weights at least once and not over 20 times [7].
Rest during the training and between the days is equally important. Give yourself 60–90 seconds between sets for rest [8].
Let your muscle regain the energy it needs for contractions. The break between the exercises is also a perfect time for the blood to flush out the metabolites from your muscles.
Nutrition is also essential for muscle growth. You should always eat enough protein and healthy calories [7].
How Much Protein Should I Consume After The Gym?
The amount of protein you should consume after a gym session depends on various factors.
Even 0.4 to 0.5 g/kg of protein can help maximize muscle growth and repair after exercise [9].
However, when you train regularly, you need to eat more protein. The best amount would be 1.2 to 1.7 g/kg per day [10].
The best time to eat proteins is during and as soon as possible after your training session. This increases muscle regeneration and stimulates muscle protein synthesis rates [11].
Leucine and essential amino acids are recommended for better regeneration and effective simulation of muscle protein synthesis. Such a mixture is found in high-quality proteins [12, 13].
How To Regenerate Sore Muscles Faster?
If you want to regenerate your muscles faster, you can follow an approach that involves rest, active recovery, and targeted treatments.
Among the most essential things you have to follow in the strategy are:
- Get enough sleep.
Sleep is crucial for muscle recovery. Sleep deprivation can impair muscle recovery. It affects the immune and hormonal systems, which normally help with muscle growth [9].
- Do active recovery.
You should do low-intensity cardio or stretching. These activities enhance the blood flow through the muscles. Increased blood flow through a damaged muscle can cut the time needed for full recovery [1].
- Try sports massages.
Massagers are not a must-have in this approach. However, they have a small beneficial effect on the muscular system. They reduce soreness and improve flexibility [9].
- Compression garments
Compression garments can also aid muscle recovery. When worn strategically, compression garments can accelerate muscle recovery [9].
- Contrast bath therapy.
This therapy is based on temperature changes. You can take a quick, very warm shower followed by a very cold shower, which can reduce muscle soreness [9].
Also, certain supplements can help with pain and speed up muscle regeneration. Curcumin and fish oil are two beneficial ones [3].