Supplements to Help w/ Muscle Soreness

i am 38 and “weekend warrior” backpacker.

we just got back from a 3 day 25 mile trip. 10 miles each the 1st and 2nd day and 5 miles the 3rd.

my legs were so sore on the trip back that i could barely walk. this was unusual since i run about 20 miles a week and do resistance training 3 days.

i am sure the soreness was because of the constant up and down of the mountain terrain and the 30 lbs of gear that i was carrying. my calves especially were hurting bad.

can someone recommend a supplement that will help with this? i already cycle creatine but was reading about beta alanine that is supposed to fight fatigue. gonna up the leg training before next time too.

any advice appreciated.

Not a supplement, but are you foam rolling? Last week I did a much longer and steeper than usual hike, and was getting sore the last 25% of the distance. Could barely get out of the car once I got home. Foam rolled all the sore muscles thoroughly and felt fine the next morning. This is record recovery for me.

To prepare for such a backpacking trip, build up to it with shorter hikes and day hikes with steep terrain and a pack. Soreness is pretty specific.

One type of leg training that has carried over a bit to hiking is single-leg unsupported squats and deadlifts, emphasizing the eccentric contraction of the hamstrings while lowering. This is similar to the way a single leg at a time bears weight while hiking, especially on the inclines and declines.

I’m 38 as well but don’t know of a supplement outside of rest and repetition that will alleviate sore muscles.

Your body is just telling you that you pushed it beyond it’s normal routine. It will feel better in a day or so…

Take an Advil if need be.

an advil is anti-inflammatory

your muscles are sore because of inflammation

take a quality fish oil supplement and your muscle (and joint) soreness should be significantly reduced even from brutal workouts

EAS’s Muscle Armour is great for DOMS reduction. It’s basically a combo of arginine, glutamine and HMB. And despite the arguements for or against all the above, EAS has a winner here by combining them in the ratios they have.

I remember reading someone on their site saying “I’m never sore, I can now train chest every day.” Idiocy and internal rotation aside, it’s pretty much true I’m never really sore, worked, but never sore. I’m currently on a 5 day body part split which come Monday means legs and usually 4 days of agony. Muscle Armour brings this to two days of minimal pain.

Take the pre and post-workout servings. It gets expensive (1 jug lasts only 15 days) but beats being crippled.

And I wholly agree with foam rolling. Talk about a life saver!!

Maybe its the foam rolling that helping you and not the “Muscle Armour”. Just a hunch.

[quote]cyph31 wrote:
an advil is anti-inflammatory

your muscles are sore because of inflammation

take a quality fish oil supplement and your muscle (and joint) soreness should be significantly reduced even from brutal workouts[/quote]

Advil is good for occasional things like this but don’t take it very often. Fish oil is an everyday supplement. Taking a couple after a hike will have no effect but taking it long term will.