Nobody wants to wake up the morning after a gym session and hardly be able to move. That’s not a lot of fun. However, it can happen. Worse still, the pain continues for days, no matter how many massages you get from your partner.
Aching a little bit after a gym session is normal. That’s because working out causes muscle fibers in your body to break down before they rebuild again. The immune system makes muscles feel a little sore and tender, encouraging you to take it easy for a while.
For most people, this sensation lasts 24 to 48 hours. However, there are some reasons why it might go on for longer than this. Here we take a look at why.
You’re Not Eating Enough Protein After You Work Out
Your body has no idea how much food it is going to get during the recovery phase after a workout session. Therefore, it starts to break down muscle in anticipation of building it back stronger and better than before.
However, if you don’t give yourself enough protein and other nutritional building blocks, this process won’t happen. Instead, you’ll ache for days and your muscles might actually get smaller.
That’s why a lot of professional athletes use food replacement shakes. The idea is to give their bodies all the nutrients they need to avoid aching and to help their muscles adapt.
You’re Not Sleeping Enough
Most workout recovery occurs at night while you sleep. During rest, the repair mechanisms in your body go into overdrive, restoring your tissue and helping it come back stronger and better than before.
However, if you’re only getting a couple of hours of sleep every night, this process won’t happen. Your body simply won’t have the time to do the necessary repair work, making it harder to bounce back from a demanding gym session.
You Aren’t Eating Enough Calories
Building new muscle mass takes a lot of energy. That’s why the body only does it sparingly and it is hard to build any muscle at all.
Therefore, if you don’t eat enough calories, recovering from your training sessions will take longer. You’ll find that it takes several days before you are ready to get back in the gym, rather than just a few hours.
What’s more, if calories stay too low for too long, you’ll begin to feel exhausted. You won’t have the same energy, and you’ll feel like you simply can’t go to the gym for another grueling exercise session.
You’re Out Of Shape
If you’re really out of shape or haven’t exercised in a long time, then aching for days after a gym session is something you should expect. A heavy workout is a massive shock to the system and the muscles respond by panicking, breaking down their tissue as much as possible to adapt to the stimulus.
The key here is to be a little more gentle on yourself if it is your first session back in the gym. Avoid going “all out” and build intensity over time instead.
Disclosure: collaborative post
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