Building Muscle Tips: Preventing Muscle Fatigue
Anyone who has performed a vigorous and strenuous workout for building muscles is sure to have experienced muscle fatigue. Muscle fatigue is characterized by complete exhaustion, with the muscles and limb feeling weak, limp and utterly drained of energy. Sadly, however, muscle fatigue has detrimental effects especially if your goal is to build bulkier, stronger muscles. For one, your muscles recover more slowly after your workout. It can also prevent you from performing a full workout.
Take special note of these tips on how to prevent muscle fatigue so that you can continue to enjoy doing a complete workout.
First of all, it is recommended by a medical study commissioned by Bloomsburg University that you take creatine supplements six weeks prior to starting a muscle building workout. The study showed that taking a low dose of creatine (2.3 grams) per day can give you greater resistance to muscle fatigue whenever you perform high-intensity exercises. Creatine has the added benefit of increasing both muscle strength and mass.
Secondly, contrary to popular belief, you need to consume more carbohydrates prior to working out. Since your muscles utilize glycogen for energy, your workouts will cause you to deplete this substance much faster. It is recommended that you increase your carbs constitute 55 percent of your total caloric intake seven days prior to exercising. Increase this value to 70 percent three days before starting your workout.
Thirdly, you have heard advice that you should eat more proteins. The best proteins to eat in your balanced diet are complex proteins, such as those found in meat, eggs and dairy products. Complex proteins contain branched chain amino acids which will inhibit muscle tissue breakdown and prevent muscle fatigue.
The fourth tip is that you should keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of fluids. A well-hydrated muscle is not prone to fatigue, is less susceptible to irritation, and is able to contract more efficiently. Athletes are advised to take AT LEAST 6 glasses of fluids daily. Make sure that you have water or other fluids with you when you work out. If you are concerned about weight, don’t go for high-cal drinks and instead take low calorie or low sugar beverages instead.
Finally, you will probably be surprised to learn that one effective way to combat muscle fatigue is to lift heavier weights. The rationale behind this is that muscle fatigue occurs more often in individuals who lift light weights but performs many repetitions. Ideally, you should lift weights that are so heavy that you can only do two sets maximum consisting of 12 to 15 reps.
Learn more tips on how you can combat muscle fatigue while building muscles today!