Muscles aching after working out
 

I know it's normal for your muscles to be sore after working out but it's still a pain. I read that drinking a protein shake right after working out could help alleviate muscle aches. Does anyone know whether this works, or does anyone know any other way to get rid of muscle aches and soreness after working out?

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

It essentialy 'works' as protein(especially fast-acting) whey helps repair muscle breakdown/'tears' caused by lifting. Also, the BCAAs(Branched Chain Amino Acids) in whey (i.e. glutamine) help with recovery.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Having recently completed my first marathon I'm going to go ice bath FTW.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

If you consume enough protein, get enough rest, drink plenty of water... etc. that would help the soreness

Other ideas could include a heating pad if your lower back is sore from deadlifting for example, ice, getting your womans to give you teh massage, etc.

I read something a while back about shifting hot and cold showers... as in taking a shower and alternating water temp every few minutes if youre showering right after working out. I have never tried this. It could be bad. But heck... take a shower and switch from hot water to cold(er) water every few minutes back and forth like and see if it does anything for you.

As always make sure youre talking muscle soreness (DOMS; delayed onset muscle soreness) from lifting not straight out muscle pain from a pull or some other lifting related injury. And enjoy the pain; it lets you know you did something badass.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

If you just started working out you will be sore and there's not much you can do about it. A protein shake (and a small healthy meal) right after working out definitely helps. When you work out your body is craving protien for 45 min to an hour afterwards and by not feeding it you are giving up some of the benefits of working out. It would also help to have another shake at some other time in the day maybe 4 - 8 hours after the first one.

EDIT: I saw in Rearden's post he mentioned drinking plenty of water, this is VERY important.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Low-fat chocolate milk. I saw it last week on CNNs bottom-line.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

If you work out in the mornings, an evening walk can really help.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

I have never gotten sore immediately after working out. Its usually 24 hours after I worked out

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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If you work out in the mornings, an evening walk can really help.

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I have also seen advocated a very light workout the next day, to combat the muscle soreness. Its probably the next-to-last thing you might want to do (the last thing being another hardcore workout), but it does seem to help.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Protein shakes will help to some degree, but make sure you are doing cardio after your lifting session to help alleviate the pain. Taking magnesium supplements before bedtime will help as well.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Ugh, a lot of this advice sucks.

Regular old protein shakes aren't that much better than eating a meal. And a glass of chocalate milk is much better than it.

A much better solution would start making a post workout shake with some fast acting proteins and some fast acting carbs. Biotest makes a product like this. And there are a couple places you can make a blend like this.

Warning: Hydrolyzed protein tastes horrid.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

whey protein is good for DOMS. i usually drink a serving of this right after lifting and another with dinner.

also, getting a lot of sleep is really important as it allows your body to mend those muscles.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

If your muscle soreness is the result of only lifting weights, try doing a light cardio workout (20-30 minutes) right after your weight lifting session. The cardio will help you break down the lactic acid which is the main cause of the soreness.

Personally, I like muscle soreness the day after lifting. If my muscles aren't sore, that means I didn't work them out hard enough the previous day.

For joint soreness, use ice immediately after working out. My knees get sore after playing bball, so I keep my freezer full of a bunch of dixie cups with frozen water, and use them to ice my knees after playing.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ugh, a lot of this advice sucks.

Regular old protein shakes aren't that much better than eating a meal. And a glass of chocalate milk is much better than it.

A much better solution would start making a post workout shake with some fast acting proteins and some fast acting carbs. Biotest makes a product like this. And there are a couple places you can make a blend like this.

Warning: Hydrolyzed protein tastes horrid.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT.

Surge from Biotest is a great post-workout drink and it taste good. Don't bother buying the hydrolyzed whey and maltodextrin, etc. separate and mixing it yourself unless you have a very strong stomach. I think it's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

surge is really good, if you are on a strict low carb diet it makes you really want to work out because of the taste etc but its somewhat pricey. I personally buy bulk dextrose, and whey and mix them, its a little sweet but pretty good. I used to take a sauna before bed when I lived near the gym, now its just a hot bath, then a cold shower, then stretching before bed.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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The cardio will help you break down the lactic acid which is the main cause of the soreness.



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Do you get DOMS from talking out your ass? Lactic acid is quickly flushed from the system and does not account for the soreness. Most research shows actual cell damage and the inflamatory-repair response as the cause of the pain and swelling.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

guids,

Switch to malto and hydrolyzed whey and it'll taste much worse and work much better ~5.50 per lbs premixed.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Themp who would waste money on some companies "fast acting carb and protein mix" when I can buy standard WPI powder and mix it with Dextrose which costs basically nothing. Any carb/protein combination package from a supp. company is usually a waste of money.

As for getting rid of the pain. After a while I find you stop noticing it completely, that is my experience.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

totally standard

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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Themp who would waste money on some companies "fast acting carb and protein mix" when I can buy standard WPI powder and mix it with Dextrose which costs basically nothing. Any carb/protein combination package from a supp. company is usually a waste of money.

As for getting rid of the pain. After a while I find you stop noticing it completely, that is my experience.

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It doesn't "Get rid of the pain". A serving of this "food" costs <$1 and has an excellent nutrient profile for when you when you finish working out. There is possibly every reason to do this. I posted that supplement by name because 1) It is popular 2) you can read the ingredients do people can make their own if they like 3) So perhaps they can look at some of the literature with it and learn something.

Also, you are using WPI/dextrose which is basically like eating sweet tarts and drinking some milk. Not to mention I don't know where you get WPI but that is around 80% or more of the cost for a homemade postworkout drink with probably not much more benefit than some of the other solutions posted.


Aside: Contrast showers work great, but kinda suck. You will see pro athletes who get knocked around sitting in tubs of ice water and then hopping into a hot tub after. This is quite painful.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

I find that swimming as my cardio/relaxation activity works wonders.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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I read something a while back about shifting hot and cold showers... as in taking a shower and alternating water temp every few minutes if youre showering right after working out. I have never tried this. It could be bad. But heck... take a shower and switch from hot water to cold(er) water every few minutes back and forth like and see if it does anything for you.

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I'm a rugby referee, and have used this method in the past when reffing at rugby sevens tournaments when we have to ref 4 or 5 games over a 5 hour period. Reffing sevens is VERY intense excercise, so to stop us stiffening up too badly between games, we set up a giant bin with ice and water in it, and have a decently hot shower running next to it. After each game, you jump in the ice tub for a minute, then hot shower for a minute, and repeat this three or four times. Its really incredible how refreshed your legs will feel after this.

But I doubt I could be bothered going to all that trouble after every workout.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

[ QUOTE ]
Themp who would waste money on some companies "fast acting carb and protein mix" when I can buy standard WPI powder and mix it with Dextrose which costs basically nothing. Any carb/protein combination package from a supp. company is usually a waste of money.

As for getting rid of the pain. After a while I find you stop noticing it completely, that is my experience.

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What you eat/drink post-workout is by far the most important meal of the day. I've read enough to understand the science behind it and I've experienced the difference that it makes when I get a proper post-workout drink.

The explanation is long and I would never get it exactly right anyway so here are a few key paragraphs from John Berardi's site:

"A couple of final factors need to be discussed. First, the research is very clear that if you wait to consume your post-workout nutrition, you lose (14). One study showed that if the post-workout beverage was consumed immediately after training, glycogen synthesis was three times higher than if the beverage was consumed just two hours later. So the sooner you drink the drink, the better the recovery rate.

Secondly, with respect to the types of carbohydrate and protein to consume, it's clear that immediately after training, liquid nutrition is best tolerated (8,15). Since liquid nutrition is more rapidly digested and absorbed, nutrients are more rapidly delivered to the muscle. In addition, according to the literature, the optimal carbohydrates to consume are glucose and glucose polymers, like maltodextrin (8).

As far as the best protein to consume, you want to choose a protein that is absorbed as rapidly as the ingested carbs so that the synergistic insulin response can be maximized. Now that's hard to find. Most intact proteins (yes, even in powdered form) take several hours to be fully absorbed. We need protein that can get absorbed within minutes, just like the carbs do. Without this simultaneous absorption of both, the insulin response will be disappointing. So what to do? Well, since one of the most quickly digested proteins is whey hydrolysate, it's the protein of choice for our purposes here (10)."

The rest of the article is here:
Solving the Post Workout Puzzle

You can chug WPI after your workouts until you're blue in the face but you will never experience the same gains as you will if you make the switch to a proper mix. This one change in my diet/supplementation has done more for me than anything I've ever done over the last 4+ years of lifting.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Some good advice here, thanks.

re: Surge, I see a 900g tub of this being sold at £35 (I'm in the UK), and the tub includes 10 servings for £3.50 per serving which is ridiculous. What are some other good, cheaper substitutes? Would something like this be any good?

Also, if you do cardio after weights, do you take the shake after weights or cardio?

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

I haven't read much literature on this since I was really into lifting more than 2 yrs ago, but the overwhelming advice at that point on forum.bodybuilding.com was dex + WPI for postwork out. Isn't whey hydro just WPI which is filtered using that method, i'm rusty on that particular point.

Regarding maltodex v dex, i've seen different articles which say which is better. In Australia I used half/half.

WPI is not particularly expensive more than WPC if you are buying 8kg tubs like I was, also WPI has a higher protein concentration so it pays for itself basically.

I agree post workout shake is very important. But I think you are exagerating the differences between a cheaper do it yourself wpi/c + dex/malto shake (which will clearly be cheaper) and something called Surge.....

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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But I think you are exagerating the differences between a cheaper do it yourself wpi/c + dex/malto shake (which will clearly be cheaper) and something called Surge.....

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I probably am because I was thinking that what you were describing was somewhat different than Surge. I may be wrong. WPI isn't 100% hydrolyzed whey and my understanding is that 100% hydrolyzed whey is what you want post workout. It's been a couple of years so again, I may be wrong.

When I first started trying to get my pwo drink right a couple of years ago, I ended up making a homemade recipe for Surge that tasted horrible. I did it because it was cheap. I could only stand it for a couple of weeks before I broke down and paid for the Surge.

The only reason AFAIK to pay for the more expensive stuff is the taste. If you just want the drink and you want it relatively cheap, but the ingredients and mix your own. I can't for the life of me find the site that I ordered from. I do remember 50g of protein, 100g of maltodextrin (or 50/50 malto and dextrose), 5g glutamine, and 5g BCAA's.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Okay, I found a little info here:

whey

"Hydrolyzed whey (or whey protein hydrolysate) is usually a whey protein isolate that have had some of its amino acid peptide bonds broken enzymatically into shorter chains of aminos. This leads to better absorption in the stomach. However, hydrolyzed whey isn't all the popular because of its horrible taste. The hydrolysis process makes the whey taste bitter. The level of hydrolysis determines the bitterness of the protein - more hydrolyzed whey will taste more bitter. Generally, hydrolyzed whey protein supplements will be no more than 20% hydrolyzed, as this costs the manufacturer extra money, and also makes the whey taste worse.

Unfortunately, you'll never know what percent the protein is hydrolyzed, as the makers will never put it on their label.

Advantages of Hydrolyzed Whey:

The most digestible whey protein for human consumption
Partially pre-digested for better absorption by humans
Protein molecules are split into smaller group called peptides

While hydrolyzed whey has many desirable qualities, you're unlikely to find any whey protein supplement that is mass marketed that contains a high percentage of hydrolyzed whey - only because marketing to the masses, the supplement companies worry more about taste than effectiveness. I'm sure we can say that for many end users as well. Some protein supplements like Optimum's 100% whey contains some hydrolyzed whey; however they don't tell you how much."

The stuff I was buying was 100% hydrolyzed. They sold malto, aminos, proteins, etc. all in bulk. They didn't sell anyone else's products and nothing was prepackaged. It all came in big ziploc bags. I wish I could find the place because it was very cheap.

How do you quantify the difference between hydrolyzed and "non-hydrolyzed whey"? Who knows. Maybe there's hardly any difference at all. Supplementation gets too complicated sometimes.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Heater is more or less right but the serving it too big. 25/50 is more in line with what most people need. It's a 300+ cal drink from just that. And considering you should eat within 2 hours. You don't wanna down something too huge.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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Heater is more or less right but the serving it too big. 25/50 is more in line with what most people need. It's a 300+ cal drink from just that. And considering you should eat within 2 hours. You don't wanna down something too huge.

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Yeah, I'm 6'7" ~260.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

ive been working out for a while, and i take a protein shake before and after my workouts. In lifting magazines they say that you should take as many gramz of protein as your weight. This will help the soreness and recovery time alot, also take glutamine pills before you go to bed. There is some glutamine in the protein shakes, but not enough for it to really help and get into your blood stream to help your muscles recover. Also if you plan on lifting on a regular basis, take a multi-vitamine and try out some fish oil, to get some essensial fatty acids that you body needs. But if i were you i would get soem whey protein and some glutamine pills and you should be fine after the 1st week of lifting all your muscles

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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Heater is more or less right but the serving it too big. 25/50 is more in line with what most people need. It's a 300+ cal drink from just that. And considering you should eat within 2 hours. You don't wanna down something too huge.

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Yeah, I'm 6'7" ~260.

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Another new thing is taking some of your workout shake before during and after. I'm not too knowledgeable on this and just think its a way to keep people from effing up the PWS by dowing a quart of gatorade 1hour-15 minutes before.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

I bought some Surge and thought it tasted awful. I could barely choke it down, blech.

What is the perfect post-workout meal/drink, and when should it be eaten? I currently do weights for 30 mins then run for 40-60 minutes on the treadmill... when should I consume the post-workout food?

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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I bought some Surge and thought it tasted awful. I could barely choke it down, blech.

What is the perfect post-workout meal/drink, and when should it be eaten? I currently do weights for 30 mins then run for 40-60 minutes on the treadmill... when should I consume the post-workout food?

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<1hr later. Then eat 60 minutes later. Surge does taste bad. One potential downside is if you feel so bad you can't eat again or feel like booting [censored]. Then just move back to half a roll of sweetarts and choc. milk.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

it should be a drink, and read everything heater has written. i persoinally dont want to spend the money on hydrolyzed whey, but whatever, it is the best thing to do

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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it should be a drink, and read everything heater has written. i persoinally dont want to spend the money on hydrolyzed whey, but whatever, it is the best thing to do

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Big cop out. If you can't take the taste just say it.

http://www.trueprotein.com/custom_product.aspx

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I bought some Surge and thought it tasted awful. I could barely choke it down, blech.

What is the perfect post-workout meal/drink, and when should it be eaten? I currently do weights for 30 mins then run for 40-60 minutes on the treadmill... when should I consume the post-workout food?

[/ QUOTE ]

<1hr later. Then eat 60 minutes later. Surge does taste bad. One potential downside is if you feel so bad you can't eat again or feel like booting [censored]. Then just move back to half a roll of sweetarts and choc. milk.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've only had the raspberry flavored Surge, but it's [censored] great. Tastes like Kool-Aid. Try it if you don't like the other flavor.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

its a build up of lactic acid in your muscles, time is only going to neutralize this yo, pm me if you want to learn the metabolism, i had to draw the whole thing out last semester

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

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its a build up of lactic acid in your muscles, time is only going to neutralize this yo, pm me if you want to learn the metabolism, i had to draw the whole thing out last semester

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Lactic acid is quickly flushed from your system, it is not responsible for soreness the next day. Its actual cell damage and your body's repair respsonse that makes you sore.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

Stretch after, do a warm-down, and light cardio or something the next day with more stretching. Stay fully hydrated and get a full night's sleep, as opposed to going out till 4am drinking gin and going to work a 7am.

Re: Muscles aching after working out
 

[ QUOTE ]
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it should be a drink, and read everything heater has written. i persoinally dont want to spend the money on hydrolyzed whey, but whatever, it is the best thing to do

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Big cop out. If you can't take the taste just say it.

http://www.trueprotein.com/custom_product.aspx

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Ya, what I meant to say is, I dont want to buy any new protien until I go through the 3 10lb containers I have now. heh.