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Extreme muscle soreness


FLrunner

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Is anyone else suffering from extreme muscle soreness after exercise?  I am on Day 27 and have had muscle soreness my entire W30.  I haven't changed my exercise routine, other than doing less or lowering intensity.  I run 25-35 miles, bike 75-125 miles, swim twice and do 2- 30 min strength sessions per week.  I really struggled the first two weeks but I tweaked the pre and post workout snacks and that really helped get me through my workouts.  Last week, I had such severe muscle soreness I took two days off bc I could barely walk after 1 strength session and we didn't even do legs!  I rarely got sore pre W30.  In general, I'm feeling great so I would love to figure this out.  My sample food:  preworkout:  coffee with compliant coconut milk, chicken breast and avocado or bite of almond butter.  Postworkout: chicken breast and sweet potato cubes.  I exercise in the morning so my postsnack is usually close to breakfast.

Breakfast:  More protein, apple and almond butter.  2nd cup of coffee

Lunch:  Large salad with variety of greens (spinach, kale, arugula), roasted veggies, carrots,  fruit, avocado, nuts or olives, various proteins, generous compliant dressing

Dinner: Protein, starchy veg (potato, squash, etc) lots of other vegetables

Snack:  If I have one it's usually fruit- banana, clementine or mixed bowl

I eat a variety of foods so as to get a variety of vitamins and minerals.  I have never taken vitamins or supplements.  I've cooked many of the recipes in the book and love them. My diet didn't change much with W30, just cleaned it up a bit, although I did consume dairy and gluten regularly.   I'm not eating eggs due to a possible sensitivity.  I've never consumed a ton of water but I'm drinking more now than before W30, prob 64-84 oz per day.  I'm not a huge sweater.  Do our bodies need more water to break down fat for energy?  I've wondered if my issue is not enough water.  A running friend suggested more salt.  I generally don't get cramped during exercise, it's post workout soreness, especially from strength training.  Any advice or insight is appreciated!

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You might find that adding more protein will help, particularly if you're exercising every day (which we don;t recommend by the way). The template is a guideline, with the 1-2 palm sized pieces being the absolute minimum - it's perfectly okay to eat more.

As an aside your breakfast is lacking in veg. I doubt this is hampering your recovery, but we recommend that fruit doesn't replace the veg on your plate, and if you're hungry enough for a snack (which you appear to be which makes me think your meals aren't big enough for your activity levels) then make it at least two of the three food groups with protein & fat being your best option.

If you're including starches postWO and in one other meal per day that should be plenty for replacing depleted muscle glycogen, but your dinner looks to be missing out on fat which is where your energy will come from.

Water isn't going to help with muscle recovery other than to prevent dehyrdration, nor will salt other than replacing lost electrolytes, but both are necessary for optimal health. Are you salting your food? And drinking the recommended half an ounce of water per pound of body weight, daily? Those 84oz are fine if you weight around 165lbs.

Hope this helps.

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Thank you for responding.  I weigh 120lbs so it sounds like enough water.  I do salt my food, but not excessively.  My dinner protein is usually one with a decent amount of fat- salmon, pork shoulder, beef, dark meat chicken.  Plus I cook with olive oil, ghee or coconut oil and add ghee to my potatoes.  Do you still think I need more fat?  I rarely eat my snack because I'm not hungry between meals, whereas before W30 I was a major snacker and constantly "hungry".  The only time I eat it is when we eat a late dinner due to kids' practices or if I had a long bike ride to supplement some carbs for recovery.  I always take Sundays off from training and occasionally an additional day if I need it.  I will try adding more protein and add some veg to my breakfast.  I have become accustomed to eating chicken at 4:30am which seemed gross at first so I'm sure I can adjust to eating some veggies with breakfast.  I just don't understand the chemistry or science of the sore muscles.  Before W30 i worked out on coffee (sugar and milk) and recovered with another cup of coffee until I could eat breakfast (fruit, plain greek yogurt and granola) and didn't have any soreness.  I am doing more for recovery now and yet seem to have more issues.   Other than the soreness I feel amazing and want to continue.  I plan to add some electrolyte drinks and endurance fuel post W30 for heavy training but continue mostly W30.  I will report back any changes then as well.  

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I don't exercise much, but before W30 I knew I'd exercised because all my muscles would ache for a couple of days.  Then I read ISWF, and did a W30, and learnt about food and nutrition, and pre/post work out meals.  Since then I've done a lot more exercise, and to a higher intensity, but haven't had any muscle soreness afterwards, so thought I wasn't doing something right, but realised that it was just eating the right things at the right times to help with muscle recovery.  I'd say the same as JMCBN - eat more protein post workout, and try to eat slight larger meals generally.  You do do a lot of exercise, so you'll be ok with the extra food.  Aim for the high end of the portion sizes in the guidlines, and you'll be fine.

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It is also possible that your muscle soreness has nothing to do with what you're eating.  If it continues and is severe enough to make you not work out, it may also be worth asking a real doctor to check you out.  With as much activity as you get, you may want to start with a sports doc, though.  A regular doc will just suggest that you do less, which is probably not all that helpful an answer.

ThyPeace, so you do triathlons?  Or something?  And how in the world do you have time for all that AND kids?

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Good point thypeace, and so true about a regular doctor.  We have a sports doc in our running group. I'll ask her what she thinks next time I see her.  Do you run? do triathlon?  I've done several 70.3s and completed my first full ironman in Chatt last September.  I also enjoy marathons and trail races.  I'm planning to do Marine Corps this year (saw you were in Maryland).  Anyway, yes it is quite the balance with 2 boys, a husband and a job!  Most of my workouts occur between 5 and 7am before anyone is awake.  I am lucky enough to have tuesdays off which allows me to squeeze alot of training in while they are at school.

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FLrunner, glad to hear you have access to a sports doc who can point you in a good direction.  As for me, I run a little.  I'm a brand-new beginning runner.  I've never been an athlete; I was the fat little kid picked last in every game.  (But I could take 'em in the pool...)  I got in shape in college and in my 20s and early 30s, but then life happened in the form of a kid and a spectacularly bad breakup.  Three years ago, I was completely deconditioned, my blood chemistry was out of whack, I weighed more than 200 pounds (I'm 5'9").  There was a lot that had to change, but I finally had the time and energy to devote to getting healthier.  I started with changing my eating and sleeping habits (actually, I started by getting a new job and doing other things that majorly reduced my stress levels).  

Then I started walking and doing old aerobics videos when DD started middle school.  A year ago, DH took over my workout space and time so that he could get in shape too.  So I started going outside.  When it got cold, I ran a few steps to warm up.  And now, well, I'm learning to run.  I have a thread about it here in the Whole30 for Athletes area.  Right now I'm struggling through various aches and pains while trying to get enough endurance to survive the 10K I signed up for in April.  I have no interest in being the fastest in the bunch -- there are too many years of being the short, slow, fat kid in my past for me to even consider competing.  I just want to finish and know that I can do it.  My long-term goal is to run a 5k, do 16 pushups, and 16 body squats  when I'm 100.  (I'm almost halfway there.)  My nutritionist wants me to add a pull-up into the mix, but I currently think she's crazy.  My first goal before all others is to be cautious and avoid injury.  Even so, I have various aches and I struggle a lot with whether I'm pushing myself too hard or not hard enough.

So I totally admire those who do the really long distances.  For me, well, it's been maybe nine months since I was wildly happy at having run a mile continuously in less than 12 minutes, and six months since I ran/walked my first 5K.  I have a lot left to learn and a lot of training left to do.

ThyPeace, good think I like learning!

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On 2/28/2017 at 3:15 AM, FLrunner said:

Is anyone else suffering from extreme muscle soreness after exercise? 

 

I had extreme soreness in my first week, but when I added a spoonful of almond butter pre-WO and 2 ounces tuna post-WO, the soreness virtually went away. I'm doing crossfit-style WODs every morning M-F + usually a strength session before the WOD. I also spin 1-2 times per week (I teach once a week).

That being said, I did have to take today off the gym for the first time in 3 months (I take rest days on the weekend, but the first time I missed my weekday workout since November). I feel so much better having given myself that rest, even though I felt bad for missing my workout.

Maybe try to give yourself extra rest. I am thankful I did it even though I was dreading it.

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No advice, just popping in to say I'm feeling the same.  I'm on day 20.  The first bit my workouts just outright sucked.  Then it got better.  Then this week I attempted to push it as I was doing pre-whole30.  I'm so fricking sore I haven't properly straightened my arms for 3 days haha.  Granted, I should have stretched a bit more.  But yea, I am really missing my protein supplements.  

I'm not big on eating before I go to the gym, it's too early for me to stomach much food, which may be part of the problem... But I eat a good meal when I get home and am still uber sore this week.  Following posts like these are quite helpful.

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13 hours ago, brandyontherun said:

But yea, I am really missing my protein supplements

Then increase your protein throughout the day, and specifically postWO, and make sure not to consume fat (ie. eat a postWO meal and then a template meal - don't combine the two).

Liquid protein is digested faster other than that it's no different.

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