Whether you’re a professional athlete or just a casual gym-goer, no one likes their muscles tiring out, especially when you’re looking for reliable performance from your body. Many people just call it a day when they experience muscle fatigue, but others can’t just call it quits. Luckily, there are many ways to minimize this fatigue. First, let’s take a look on what actually causes it in the first place!
1. Overheating: Overheating is an obvious cause of fatigue. When it’s hot outside, our bodies can become exhausted even just walking to the store. However, when we exercise more strenuously, our bodies can easily increase up to 104 degrees or sometimes even more! The blood we carry in our bodies is actually designed to help keep us at a good temperature, in addition to transporting essential nutrients to our muscles. The problem lies in that these demands can actually exhaust our body even further, to where not enough body heat is dispersed, causing our body to overheat.
The best way to combat this is to make sure you’re well-hydrated. In fact, those who drink water while they’re running have temperatures that are on average, two degrees lower than those who do not.
2. Dehydration: This kind of ties into the last point, but not being well-hydrated literally affects everything in your body, including your muscles. Muscles that have a proper hydration are going to perform better, as they will lose water while you’re sweating. Ideally, drink fluids which contain glucose, as well as sodium. These two help maintain a good blood volume and encourage the body’s tissues to absorb more water. They’re often found in your common sports drinks that can be found in just about any convenience store.
3. Low Glucose Levels: Glucose is the primary energy source for our muscles, so when we don’t have enough, it’s easy to understand why we experience fatigue. Long-term exercise is fueled from aerobic energy, which is made by burning glucose, as well as fatty and amino acids. So, no matter if you’re performing short or long-term exercise, glucose is a key factor in giving you the energy you require. To minimize depletion, we recommend consuming sports drinks, carb gels, sports bars, carb loading, or another kind of special training to aim for more fat burning rather than your glycogen stores.
4. Improper Training: Oxygen is the most important factor in keeping your muscles in shape. If you don’t have a large enough aerobic capacity, then you’re going to get tired faster.
5. Improper Diet: If you’re not eating enough, or if you’re eating the wrong things, then it can make it easier for your muscles to become fatigued. For example, those who consume salty or sugary food often experience cramps. Make sure to consume complex proteins and carbohydrates instead to give you the energy you require.
6. Improper Form: The last point, is one that’s often not considered when speaking of muscular lethargy. Pay attention to any muscle imbalances or compensation while exercising. You may need to lower your weights or slow down to maintain proper form. Whenever trying a new sport or exercise, start slow and light and focus on form more.
