What really helps with sore muscles?

Be sure to drink enough water. This helps prevent sore muscles by compensating for fluid lost through sweating during sport and increasing blood volume, which decreases while exercising.

In this way, nutrients reach the muscles, tendons and joints better and faster and help with regeneration.

As a rule of thumb: within six to eight hours after training, you should compensate for the fluids lost during exercise with 1.5 times as much water. For example: if you weigh 75 kg before exercising and 74 kg afterwards, you should drink at least 1.5 litres of water for the 1 kg reduction.

Proteins with a high content of essential amino acids can help heal the tiny injuries in the muscle tissues, tendons, ligaments or bones cause by intensive mechanical strain during sport.

Foods to eat include fish, meat, eggs, milk, hard cheese, soya, peas, lentils, and also whey supplements with a high leucine content (e.g. whey protein). 

Take a cold dip. It inhibits local blood circulation, which means that less blood and therefore fewer inflammatory cells, tissue fluid and breakdown products reach the affected tissue. This in turn reduces acute swelling and inflammation.

After an ice bath, the blood vessels dilate again, metabolic breakdown products from the muscles are removed more efficiently, and nutrients are transported to the cells more quickly.

Ideally, the duration of the bath should correspond to the water temperature, for example 10 minutes at 10 degrees. It’s best to take an ice bath 30 to 90 minutes after exercising.

Tip for beginners: you don’t have to be completely submerged. It’s enough if you submerge the body parts that are affected, such as your legs after a strenuous hike.

Heat also relieves the discomfort of sore muscles – by increasing blood circulation and relaxing the muscles. This promotes regeneration. Have a warm bath, take a sauna or put a hot water bottle on the affected area.

Gentle activities help ease sore muscles by promoting blood circulation in the affected muscles and supporting the repair process.

Suitable activities include walking, light cycling or swimming. They promote blood circulation and thus help to remove metabolic by-products, inflammatory substances and fluid build-up in the body more quickly.

Swelling in the muscle fibres is reduced and pressure on nerve endings decreases, which in turn alleviates the pain that we perceive as sore muscles.

“Take it easy and don’t do too much, otherwise you’ll hamper the healing process,” says Tschopp.

Gradually build up to more intense exertion so that your muscles can adapt slowly and the strain is not excessive. Here are some helpful examples:

If you’re planning a hiking holiday in the spring, go for frequent walks up a nearby hill now. If you’re planning on backpacking during your vacation, fill a rucksack with a moderate weight to take on your walks and gradually increase the weight and the distance.

This will prepare the muscles in your legs and core for your hiking holiday. 
Use trekking poles: They help to distribute the braking force over several muscles when going downhill, which puts less strain on the individual muscles.

Intensive sports that are hard on the knees and legs require some preparation. Are you planning to make your squash comeback with an old friend the week after next after several years’ break? Or are you heading off on a winter sports holiday soon? Snow sports also put a lot of strain on your legs and knees.

In both cases, it’s advisable to prepare your legs in advance. Strength training can help. Braking movements in which the leg muscles have to push off and slow down quickly are particularly helpful. Do the first set with both legs, then one leg at a time.

Or you can train your legs at home: find a low step (e.g. a pavement, stairs or a low bench) and jump up and down. First with both legs, then alternate. 

Warming up before exercising is always important to prepare the muscles for the upcoming strain. It helps to prevent soreness by gradually preparing the muscles for the strain and minimising micro-tears.

“Warming up also makes it easier to perform movements during sport. As a result, the body is subjected to less strain and therefore less susceptible to muscle soreness,” says Tschopp.

Do 5 to 15 minutes of light cardio, dynamic stretching or sport-specific exercises (e.g. arm circles, lunges).

This boosts the circulation, makes the muscles more flexible and mobilises the joints, thus reducing the risk of overloading, especially with unfamiliar movement sequences.

Particularly with strength training, it is important to first increase the frequency of training, then the duration and then the intensity.

You precise schedule depends on your starting level, your age and your physical condition. It’s best to seek professional advice. 

“Muscles grow even without pain – through regular training at a moderate intensity,” says sports scientist Tschopp. Muscle soreness can even be a hindrance, as it delays recovery and the gradual increase in training. 

Even people who are in good shape can experience sore muscles if they do movements that they aren’t used to. For example: If a marathon runner plays football, she will definitely feel it in her legs afterwards.

Massage can help to relax the muscles and tissue. If you have sore muscles, you should opt for gentle massages. “Too much pressure can be harmful for sore muscles, as it can increase the micro-tears in the muscle fibres and thus delay recovery,” says Tschopp.

Gentle massage techniques that promote blood circulation are best. Better blood circulation accelerates the removal of the inflammatory substances that occur when the body repairs the micro-tears in the muscle. This speeds up the cell regeneration and recovery. 

Unfortunately, this is just a myth that is still widely believed. “Studies have clearly shown that magnesium doesn’t help against sore muscles. However, magnesium can relieve pain that occurs when muscles contract – for example in the case of cramps,” says Tschopp.

Muscle cramps have a different cause than muscle soreness: They occur, for example, when the muscles have too few minerals such as magnesium, sodium or potassium or the body is dehydrated.

Yes, by exercising the muscles regularly and slowly, so that they become accustomed to the movement sequences and strain.

Lactic acid doesn’t cause sore muscles – this is an outdated misconception. Sore muscles are caused by unaccustomed strain, which leads to micro-tears in the muscle fibres.

Lactate is different: it forms during anaerobic exercise and causes acute burning pain during sport. It is broken down again within a few hours and doesn’t build up or cause sore muscles.