A feeling of listlessness in the limbs after a high-intensity run or workout training program is a usual experience for individuals who engage in exercise. Muscle fatigue may happen at unanticipated times. You may not be able to spot the exact time or day when you exercise more than your body is capable of until a painful heaviness spreads though your body.

This heaviness causes your muscles to fatigue and reduces their ability to simulate a contraction or generate strength, thereby rendering the muscles ineffectual. And its common for the soreness to stay for a good period of time.

The fatigue can be irksome, as it takes its own time to heal and youre left strangling in the heaviness for a few days. The good news is there are many strategies to overcome muscle fatigue and alleviate the lassitude (if not get rid of completely). Here are some of them:



Diet
The diet needs to be optimized in the battle against muscle fatigue. Its important that you consume an optimal amount of fat, protein and carbohydrates.

Typically, those who engage in endurance exercise require 40 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 30 to 35 percent protein and the rest in fat calories, while those who engage in strength training or take part in sport activities should consume an equal amount of carbohydrates and protein calories per day.

There are some low-fat diets promoted by fitness advocates; while these diets may do a great job at burning fat calories, they dont help in overcoming muscle fatigue. Why is that, you ask? Answer: they take out carbohydrates completely from the diet. This macronutrient is to the muscles like fuel is to a car carbs provide muscles with the necessary fuel to sustain or maintain energy levels during workouts, and recover quickly after workouts.

Compression clothing
Compression clothing is known to provide gentle compression to the muscles and the limbs. The creators of these garments say that compression assists in removing the unwanted bi-products resulting from exercise, as well as supporting joint position and decreasing muscle damage during exercise and helping in quick recovery after exercise to overcome muscle fatigue.

A study conducted at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, measured lactate levels in rugby players after they exercised wearing compression garments or normal shorts. Players wearing compression garments had lower lactate levels, perhaps because of improved blood flow to the muscles. Lactate is associated with fatigue of muscles, so its quick removal may give a boost to workout performance.

Tommiecooper.com lists running shorts for men and women and other such compression clothing that provide support to the muscles and joints, which helps in relieving pain from muscle soreness and stiffness--the two main contributors of muscle fatigue. Such compression gear also simulates oxygen delivery to the muscles throughout the body, and the moisture management they provide helps in keeping the skin dry and cool during activity, allowing you to stride for longer and fatigue less.



Ice pack and showers
Ice packs have been historically known to combat muscle fatigue. Applying ice on sore muscles should be accompanied by mild stretching. That is because stretching helps the muscle to release toxins, which when followed by the application of ice helps them in cooling down and facilitating the repair.

The method called PRICE (Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) can do a good job in recovering muscles. Youre just required to follow a single precaution: avoid applying ice to the bare skin as it causes the death of the tissues as well as numbness (use ice packs and other similar equipment/accessory).

Also, those who take cold showers after a workout are less prone to muscle fatigue. That is because cold showers aid the constriction of blood in the muscles, which in turn prevents the buildup of lactic acid. Showers are also helpful in offsetting muscle fatigue; alternating between hot and cold showers increases the muscle recovery rate (the hot shower works in the opposite direction as the cold shower, so the rhythmic pattern reduces soreness and increases muscle health).

Massage and natural remedies
Aspirin and other medications may come in handy when youve broken a bone, but analgesic balms, when used in conjunction with massage, work really well on fatigued muscles. In particular, the approximation and compression of massage techniques lead to good results by stimulating blood flow throughout the body.

Natural remedies such as essential oils like olive and eucalyptus also do a great job in reducing the soreness resulting from fatigue. Applying essential oils helps in dilating the sore muscles, thereby making them more responsive to treatments.

Epsom salts can also be used as they contain a good amount of magnesium, which helps in repairing damaged muscles quicker than other substances. Dried rosemary leaves can be further added to relax muscles and speed up the fatigue-fighting process.