Muscle fatigue is a common condition, characterised by a feeling of weakness, tiredness, and lack of energy in the muscles. It refers to the decrease in a muscle’s ability to generate force or perform repeated contractions. It can result often from strenuous activity or exercise. However, there are many factors that can cause it.
In this blog we’ll understand its causes, symptoms and how you can relieve and prevent muscle fatigue.
What Are Its Causes?
There are many factors that can lead to development of muscle fatigue. Here are some of the common main factors:
Exercise:
Strenuous physical activity such as exercise or sports can significantly cause muscle fatigue. Especially if you are new to a particular activity or have increased the duration or intensity of your workout.
Aging:
There is an age related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, which leads to decrease in muscle mass and strength. As we age, there are also changes in muscle function and metabolism. All this causes muscles to fatigue and makes everyday activities more challenging.
Energy Depletion:
Muscles require a constant supply of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) for contraction. Prolonged or intense activity can lead to depletion of ATP, which reduces a muscle’s ability to contract, and leads to muscle fatigue.
Neuromuscular Causes:
Effective muscle contraction depends on a smooth communication between the nervous system and muscle fibers. Disruption of motor neuron signaling, neuromuscular release and uptake and reduced sensitivity of muscle fibers to the neural signal, all these factors cause muscles to fatigue.
Electrolyte Imbalance:
Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium play a vital role in muscles functioning. Electrolyte imbalance may occur due to profuse sweating and inadequate hydration, which causes muscles to fatigue.
Reduced Oxygen Delivery To Muscles:
Muscles require oxygen for aerobic metabolism. Factors like anemia, high altitude, that cause reduced oxygen delivery to muscles,. Due to insufficient supply of oxygen, the body shifts to anaerobic metabolism, which is less efficient and causes faster fatigue.
Sleep Deprivation:
Sleep is important for muscle repair and recovery, by supporting the production of growth hormone and anabolic processes. Inadequate or disrupted sleep reduces glycogen stores in muscle and reduces energy availability, which causes muscle to fatigue and makes physical activity more challenging.
Underlying Medical Conditions:
There are many medical conditions that can cause your muscles to fatigue. Here are some of them:
- Diabetes.
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Hypothyroidism
- Anemia
- Depression and anxiety
- Addison’s disease
- Cancer
- HIV
- Fibromyalgia
- Obesity
What Are Its Symptoms?
General symptoms include:
- Muscle Weakness
- Muscle Pain
- Muscle Cramps
- Muscle Spasm
- Muscle Stiffness
- Tremors
- Decreased muscle tone
- Generalised feeling of exhaustion
How Can You Manage And Prevent It?
Understanding the cause of your fatigue can help you to effectively manage and prevent it.
Diet:
Taking a balanced, healthy diet containing adequate carbohydrates, proteins, fats and electrolytes plays a vital role in relief as well as prevention of muscle fatigue.
Hydration:
Drink at least 8 glasses of water to avoid dehydration, which can cause your muscles to fatigue.
Rest:
Taking some rest and allowing yourself to recover plays a key role in relieving muscle fatigue. Rest also helps in removal of lactic acid, a by-product of anaerobic metabolism, which causes muscle soreness and fatigue.
Supplements:
Dietary supplements like multivitamins and fish oil provide nutrition to keep muscles healthy. Taking Vitamin D can help relieve fatigue caused by its deficiency.
Caffeine:
Caffeine helps in reducing muscle fatigue after exercise and strenuous activity. According to a study, it excites the central nervous system and promotes resistance to muscle fatigue. It also improves energy availability and delays the onset of fatigue.
Remember, muscle fatigue can also be due to some underlying medical condition. Consult a health care provider to determine the cause of your fatigue, so that it can be managed accordingly.
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