What is muscle fatigue?
Muscle fatigue is the reduced ability of muscles to generate force. In fact, your muscles feel weak and may even be in pain. Such a condition makes body movement harder and limits the activities you can do during exercise and daily life.
Types of Muscle Fatigue
There are different methods for classifying fatigue. Depending on its duration, fatigue can be classified as acute fatigue and chronic fatigue. Acute fatigue can quickly be eliminated with rest or a change of lifestyle, whereas chronic fatigue is a condition defined as persistent fatigue that lasts for months and does not improve with rest.
Whether you are experiencing short-term or long-term muscle fatigue depends on the cause. Short-term fatigue is usually related to exercise. Disease, inactivity, or aging can also lead to chronic muscle fatigue. If your muscle fatigue is short-term, your muscles may temporarily feel tired. If you have chronic muscle fatigue, your muscles may have become weak and limp, and you may feel weak. Usually, muscle fatigue is short-term; especially in the case of short-term muscle fatigue, there are actions you can take to manage muscle fatigue and prevent it from occurring in the first place.
Short-term muscle fatigue
Muscle fatigue is a common short-term side effect in sports, occurring when one or more body systems that help muscle contraction – including the nervous, vascular (blood vessels), and energy systems – are unable to meet supply and demand. If you have recently started exercising after a period of inactivity, or if you have suffered a muscle injury or recently recovered and are exercising, you may be more susceptible to muscle fatigue. In such conditions, if you do not give your body sufficient time to recover, muscle fatigue can occur in several workout sessions, especially when you are also overtraining. Short-term muscle fatigue is different from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) with DOMS being muscle sensitivity and pain that you feel after 12 to 24 hours from completing an intense exercise or a specific movement that you usually do not do. DOMS is a common side effect that occurs as a repair response to microscopic muscle damage during exercise. DOMS typically peaks in one to three days at its worst and dissipates within a week.
Chronic muscle fatigue
Long-term muscle fatigue can result from illness, aging, and inactivity.
Chronic muscle fatigue is a sign of the following conditions:
- Arthritis
- Heart failure
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- COVID-19
- Chronic kidney failure
- Muscular dystrophy (a group of genetic diseases that cause progressive weakening of muscles)
Several factors play a role in how muscle fatigue is created, but muscle loss is often involved. For example, chronic inflammation in conditions such as arthritis and COPD leads to muscle breakdown and consequently muscle fatigue. Similarly, muscle loss, which often occurs with age, a condition known as sarcopenia, can also lead to muscle fatigue, as muscle can break down and tire more easily when reduced or with physical inactivity. Short-term muscle fatigue may feel like tiredness or lack of energy during or after exercise but with chronic muscle fatigue, the muscle can only produce a small amount of force while feeling weak constantly.
Treatment of muscle fatigue
The best way to relieve short-term muscle fatigue, whether due to excessive exercise or intense workout, is rest. Your muscles need time to recover after exercise. The duration of rest depends on the duration and intensity of the exercise. Generally, your muscles need three to five days to fully recover. If your muscle fatigue lasts more than two weeks, consult a doctor. There are also specific techniques that may help muscles recover faster and feel less fatigued. A study and meta-analysis in 2018 showed that massage is the most effective method. However, stretch clothing and compression (clothing that fits well around the skin) and hydrotherapy also reduce muscle fatigue.
Treatment of chronic muscle fatigue is more complex. However, since chronic muscle fatigue is often associated with muscle loss, strength training helps alleviate it, especially combining a resistance exercise program with a protein-rich diet can be beneficial. However, precise treatment depends on the underlying health condition. For example, lack of physical activity can worsen stiffness, weakness, pain, and muscle fatigue in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Hydrotherapy, yoga, and physiotherapy are often recommended to help manage these symptoms. If you are experiencing muscle fatigue due to a chronic disease, it is best to consult with your doctor. They can provide recommendations tailored to your specific needs and medical history.
Actions to prevent muscle fatigue
Stay hydrated
The heart needs water to pump blood throughout the body. If you are dehydrated, your muscles do not receive the necessary oxygen or nutrients. Dehydration also means that your muscles cannot effectively eliminate waste materials, so with the accumulation of waste materials, muscles become weak and tired.
Have a regular exercise program
Regular physical activity supports muscle strengthening from daily movements and activities, allowing you to perform essential tasks such as carrying objects or climbing stairs without muscle fatigue. Spend 150 minutes on moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and two strength training sessions per week. According to the United States Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, this minimum amount of exercise is necessary for overall health.
Recover the body
The best way to prevent exercise-induced muscle fatigue is to allow the body to recover. Muscles need 24 to 48 hours for complete recovery. If the exercise was intense, muscles may need up to 72 hours.
Try Supplements
Some natural products and dietary supplements may help muscles reach fatigue later. Two popular options are caffeine and creatine. Due to its stimulating effect, caffeine may increase muscle endurance and strength if consumed before exercise. According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, caffeine may be effective in doses of 3 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body mass. Creatine is one of the most popular performance-enhancing supplements. Creatine supplement (usually 3 grams per day) may help your muscles have more energy for high-intensity exercises and potentially prevent or delay muscle fatigue.
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