How to Reduce Muscle Fatigue

Muscle fatigue mostly occurs when it is least anticipated, often during workout sessions. This fatigue ends up reducing the ability of the muscles to generate sufficient strength and also stimulate contraction. Below is a list of tips on how you can reduce muscle fatigue brought to you by our team of well regarded Australian Exercise Physiologists.

Increase Your Fluid Intake

Drinking sufficient amount of water is an easy way of reducing muscle fatigue. Water assists in restoring the natural body balance thus preventing the muscles from straining. When you intake sufficient water, your muscles get hydrated and loosen thus resulting in a faster convalescence from muscle fatigue. Water also helps in washing away waste and toxins which prevent muscle recovery. You can increase your water intake by use of juices too. Apple juice is rated the best when it comes to muscle recovery. This is because it contains polyphenols which play a major role in fatigue resistance and enhancing muscular strength.

Get Some Good Uninterrupted Sleep

Never underestimate the ability of good sleep when it comes to prevention of muscle fatigue. Sleep is very vital for all the processes that take part in a human body. You should always ensure that you get a lengthy undisturbed sleep when trying to recover as it plays a vital role in muscle repair. However, avoid eating before sleeping since protein synthesis normally occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. This is where body muscles are broken down in order to provide the human stomach with amino-acid. This lowers the chances of muscle repair.

Apply an Ice Pack

This has been a common remedy for muscle fatigue for decades. Apply an ice pack to the sore muscle then follow this with mild stretching to achieve optimal results. Stretching helps in releasing toxins after which the ice cools them thus quickening their repair. As you do this, avoid applying ice to the bare skin since this may result to death or numbness of body tissue.

Consume Bananas

Our dieticians are always telling us eating bananas help in keeping your muscles healthy and well relaxed. A great way to consume bananas is in form of a smoothie. Bananas prevent muscle fatigue since they are rich in magnesium which assists the body in protein synthesis. Magnesium is also good at strengthening body muscles. Bananas are also rich in potassium which assists in transformation of glucose into glycogen. This helps in providing sufficient energy to the muscles thus quickening their recovery. Potassium also has an electrolytic nature which prevents spasms and fatigue. They also contain vitamin B-6 which helps in muscle relaxation.

Go Swimming

Swimming is one of the best exercises for fatigued muscles. This is because it works and relaxes almost every muscle in your body. The regular movement of your muscles against water helps in stretching them thus reducing the heaviness in them, its also helpful in relieving painful hip and knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Cold water is the best for this since it lowers the trauma to the muscles. This eventually prevents them from stiffening. Cold water also helps in constricting the blood vessels for some time thus preventing inflammation therefore quickening recovery.