Hey guys Just wondering waht everyone does in terms of aches and pains and general knocks from training? I'm finding more and more that I'm waking up sore as hell the next day from training and I don't really like to take medication such as Ibuprofen (I don't want to become reliant on tabletc etc, weird phobia) so I'm thinking of things more "natural". So what do you do to cure your little aches and pains? Any kind of creams/balms? Monthly/Weekly Massages? Morning Stretching? A good old fashioned hot bath? Look ofrward to your replies!
Food, rest, contrast showers, massages, strange smelling Japanese poultices. Mostly I just hobble about all smashed up all week.
beer seriously, I am always "high" on adrenaline if I train late at night and can't settle down, a beer helps me
For bruising and swelling from twists and other moderate trauma: N: nsaids I: inflammation C: compression E: elevation For stuff like minor muscle/joint pain, yes hot showers, stretching, massage to get the blood moving, getting a good night's sleep, aspirin are all good. If you are older with chronic joint pain, some sort of glutamine/chondroitin supplement would be good.
Amino Acids Fish Oil Glucosamine In addition to rest, nutrition, and avoiding over training (which I have a hard time doing)
warm shower, good stretch, kickass meal, and lots of sleep ...in that order. Actually, that beer thing you guys are mentioning is really true. I've gone to pubs after cleaning up and having some chow, and the morning after I feel awesome. It could be the carbs and other nutrients of the bhiiaah.
Something that helped me a lot, especially with those little aches and pains, was fish oil. Once I started taking it for example my fingers wouldnt be claws in the morning. A friend of mine tried something that helped him too, I think it was fish oil. And other people have been recommending fish oil, so you may want to try that. Seriously, fish oil. 10g/day, split up however you like.
I've heard that taking fish oil does a lot, what does it do specifically that helps with soreness/aches?
Pretty much everything has been covered already, but just a bit more reinforcement Fish Oil is a huge help, I take it in the morning and before I got to bed. Other things that help alleviate the little aches and pains BCAA's-http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bcaa.htm-I'm not pimping being a body builder, just giving my personal experiences. Diet-For me, proper pre/pw meals help reduce fatigue on the body as well as a proper diet and intake of good old Water Seriously, drink lots of it. Dehydration can cause aches and pains as well as feelings of fatigue. Lastly, Rest! Recovery will do the best for aches and pains. These are just things that have worked for me personally so feel free to try them out or not Hope it helps! Crazy Asian P.S. Also try the search function, if I recall their are several great articles on this subject.
Here is what works for me. I stretch every morning after I wake up for about 20-25 minutes. I am much more loose and less tense for the rest of the day. That helps. I think the word Jiu Jitsu is the Brazilian term for constant daily pain.
You think you hurt now....wait to you are 47 like me! Seriuosly though, it's all part of the fight game. You get used to it after awhile. I employ the RICE principle, and also find that TIGERBALM Ointment(Red) works well. Cross training with weights also helps to keep your joints and muscles strong.
i train 4-6 hours, six days a week, both striking arts and BJJ. I also weight train 2x per week. Here's my routine to help with fast recovery. for buises and sore muscles, i take "arnica" it comes in little pellets at 30c doses. I take 5 pellets, 3x per day. arnica increases red blood cells which helps to rapidly remove bruises. They cost around 7 dollars a vial. each vial has around 200 pellets. use it cause it works great! i also take 5 grams of glutamine, 3x per day. which helps with faster recovery. this is important if you workout out more than 4 days a week, it is a must! Glutamine is a protein that helps specifically with fast recovery. during training, i mix 5 grams of creatine with dextrose added. half way through the workout i consume. this replenishes ATP stores in the muscles and helps revive energy. ATP is basically sugar that is stored in the muscles for emergency energy use. training very hard taps into your ATP stores. once they are depleted, you will get light headed and feel like you are going to pass out if it's not replaced. replenishing the ATP stores with a creatine powder with dextrose added is vital to keeping all your cylinders firing and helps promote fast recovery. immediately after training, i mix 50 grams whey protein powder with water. you have a window of about 30 minutes after hard training, where your muscles are aching for nutrients. this is the best time for a good protein shake. but make sure to use 100% whey protein. whey protein breaks down very fast (15mins) and can be utilized by the body quickly versus cassein protein(milk protein) which takes roughly 2 hours to break down. read the labels on your protein powders and drinks! once a month i get a deep tissue massage. once every two months i get a chiropractic adjustment.
all the advice has been great, but the number one thing that will help you is ice. Ice ice and more ice. Ice every bruised achy part of you. Do you right away when you get home, then do it again. Just don't get frostbite. Listen to the old guys. They know.
Ice + naproxen. Ice, ice and more ice. Heat only after a couple of days of icing and if you are talking about constant nagging bumps and bruises ice I never use heat. I used to have your phobia against OTC anti-inflamitories. The older I got the more I got over it...
