Muscle soreness or DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is a result of the little microtears in the muscle fibers developed during exercise.
First of its important to know that muscle soreness is normal and to some degree unavoidable. The microtears in the muscle fibers are necessary for muscle adaptation. Through the process of restoring the microtears the muscle increases in size and strength.
However if the muscle soreness is extreme of lasts a lot longer than usual, this may indicate that you are not recovering well enough.
Luckily, we sell some products that could help with this:
- Proteins
- Amino Acids
- Magnesium
- Melatonin
Protein:
When we exercise, we create little micro tears in our muscles. These tears need to be repaired and this is how the muscle gets stronger/bigger. As muscles are buildup of protein you can imagine that this means you need to make sure you get in enough protein to be able to recover well and build muscle mass.
The 3 biggest categories of protein that we sell are Whey, Casein and Vegan Proteins
Whey protein is a dairy protein. This is a fast-absorbing protein that contains a complete amino acid profile. This protein is seen as the golden standard by a lot of athletes.
As this is a fast-absorbing protein, this is a great protein to consume post workout.
Casein is also a dairy protein and contains a complete amino acid profile. Casein however is a slow absorbing protein meaning that after consumption, protein will be release over a longer period. This property makes it a great protein to consume just before going to bed or when you know you won’t be consuming another meal/protein for a while.
Vegan proteins are moderately fast-absorbing proteins that are also great to take post workout. A lot of vegan protein sources however don’t contain a complete amino acid profile and as such are not optimal for muscle recovery. However, there are powders available that combine multiple sources to already create a complete profile and you can of course combine multiple sources yourself.
Amino acids:
Amino acids are the building blocks that proteins consist of. So if you don’t like protein shakes/bars for example and you are looking for a supplement that can aid in recovery Amino Acids could be what you are looking for.
Amino acid supplements are sold in a lot of different forms. The terms you will see the most are BCAA or Branched Chain Amino Acids and EAA or Essential Amino Acids.
Especially the latter one (EAA’s) has shown to be beneficial for muscle recovery when ingested around a workout. Especially in combination with carbohydrates.
Magnesium:
Magnesium is a mineral that is important for normal muscle function. Deficiencies in magnesium could lead to muscle cramps. An added benefit of magnesium is that it can help to relax both mentally and physically which could improve quality of sleep which aids recovery.
You will find different types of magnesium in magnesium supplements. Mainly magnesium- Taurate, Malate, Oxide, Citrate and Bisglycinate. The latter two are the best absorbed versions.