4 Supplements to Naturally Ease Muscle Soreness

If you’ve just visited the gym for the first time in ages or recently started endurance training, you may experience some muscle soreness following your workout.

After all, “No pain, no gain,” right?

If your muscle soreness turns into unbearable pain that’s preventing you from working out again in the next few days, you may have delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMs), which usually happens between 12 to 48 hours after a strenuous workout. Luckily, there are a few natural supplements you can take to help reduce the risk of DOMs.

Dr. Michael Smith and Dr. Holly Lucille both agree that there are two different reasons for working out: compliance and adherence. Most Americans begin to work out in order to get on board with a push by a doctor, spouse, or friend. This type of routine is best described as compliance; you’re only doing it because you want to comply with someone’s requests.

The second reason for working out is adherence. You stick to the routine because you want to, not because anyone else is making you. As Dr. Smith describes it, there is a “stickiness” that makes it easy for you to keep going.

If you fall into the compliance camp, experiencing severe muscle soreness could cause you to quit going to the gym again for a while in order to avoid feeling that pain. After a few weeks, you may feel compelled to return, but once you experience the DOMs once again, it will continue to loop. If this is the case, prevention is the best cure.

Pre-Workout Supplements

Before exercise, there are two supplements you should take: curcumin and ginger. Curcumin, a compound of turmeric, has been shown by studies to help reduce the amount of inflammation in muscles caused by working out. It can be difficult to absorb, but some supplements such as BCM-95 contain finely-milled curcumin attached to oil in order to better reach the blood stream.

Ginger has been found to be just as effective as aspirin when it comes to inhibiting cox-2 receptors and reducing pain. Taking an inch-and-a-half of ginger before working out can help soothe any queasiness that may come from intense cardio, as well as decrease the pain and swelling that can follow your workout.

Post-Workout Supplements

After your workout, taking vitamin C and Ubiquinol (CoQ10) can help get rid of all that oxidation your stressed muscles create. Several studies have shown that vitamin C and Ubiquinol, which are both potent antioxidants, can help improve compliance in an exercise program since they reduce malaise and fatigue when taken immediately following a workout.

In addition to these four supplements, there are other things you can do to reduce DOMs. The muscle pain is caused not by tears, but inflammation. Eating more fatty acids like omega-3s, good oils, and a 1:2 ratio of protein to complex carbohydrates within 30 minutes of working out will also allow for more rapid recovery of any muscle damage.

In the accompanying audio segment, Dr. Holly Lucille joins Dr. Mike to discuss what could be causing your muscle soreness, as well as natural remedies to help prevent DOMs from happening.