The Reasons for Swelling after Workout

The Reasons for Swelling after Workout

by Jesse Regan

Most of us have probably experienced muscle swelling or soreness after a workout. Although this doesn't happen all the time, muscle swelling often happens after having intense work outs. But what causes muscle swelling in the first place?

Swelling of muscles is the most definite result of very intense work outs like great speed on the tracks, ever tiring star climber, and heavy weight lifting. Every time our muscles work, lactic acid is released as a byproduct of muscle metabolism. This certain byproduct goes through the muscles that produce an effect of discomfort leading to muscle swelling. Fortunately, muscle soreness caused by the said byproduct only lasts for a few hours or less than a day. When a certain muscle swelling is observed for several days, it has a totally different cause.

People who are in a goal of building up huge muscles, they tend to subject their muscles to exercises that are so intense and far greater than their capacities. When this happens, muscle is damaged but is repaired immediately through the aid of white blood cells, prostaglandins, and other fluids and nutrients. The influx of these fluids causes a discomforting effect on the muscles that trigger swelling. This certain damage is microscopic and is healed depending on how intense the work out was. This makes a good reason why muscle swelling lasts from 2 to 5 days maximum.

Some gym goers believe that muscle swelling is a vital factor for the development of muscles. However, whether you have muscle swelling or not, muscles still do grow as well as your strength. On the other hand, there are certain bad effects that are caused by muscle swelling like limited strength, difficulty in walking, and being uncomfortable for several days.

An anti-inflammatory may come in handy as a remedy for muscle swelling. However, there is a certain difference between taking an anti-inflammatory drug before and after a workout. Several studies have revealed that taking an anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen before exercise reduces more soreness or swelling than taking it after a workout. In some cases, gym enthusiasts rely solely on pre-stretching to help either prevent or reduce muscle swelling. But careful investigation exposed that pre-stretching has no notable contribution to preventing or reducing muscle soreness.

Probably the best and the most relaxing remedy for muscle swelling is a massage. Several careful investigations have found out that those who received massages after their work outs experience 30% less soreness on their muscles compared to those who have not. But you may have some confusion in within you as to whether or not continue your work out even when you have muscle swelling. If you do have one, it is best if you know the exact muscles that have swelling. After which, you can then try those muscles on some light exercises. If the soreness of your muscle seems to have no effect on your workout performance, you can then proceed on the full work out itself. But if swelling happens to get worse, it is much preferable to stop the work out and have some rest. It is important to bear in mind that damaged muscles require more time for them to fully recover before they start growing. It is necessary for you to have more valuable information about workout tips if you're aiming for fitness.

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