5 Best Supplements For Muscle Soreness (Goodbye DOMs!)

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If you’ve ever trained intensely, then I’m sure you’ll agree that muscle soreness sucks.

I’d argue it’s the worst thing about resistance training (with overcrowded gyms being a close 2^nd).

But let me reassure you, it doesn’t have to be this way.

With the right tools, strategies and supplements, muscle soreness can be minimized to the point that it’s barely noticeable.

So, with that in mind, let’s reveal the 5 best supplements for muscle soreness, starting with number 5.

(The supplements recommended in this article are based on high-quality research as well as my own experience.)

5. Fish Oil

What is fish oil?

Fish oil is the oil extracted from fish tissue.

It usually comes from oily fish, such as Mackerel, Tuna and Salmon and is commonly sold in Gelatin capsules.

But if you’re super brave, you can also buy it as a liquid and take it straight from the bottle.

(If you do that, then please carry some chewing gum with you ha!)

How does fish oil help muscle soreness?

Fish oil is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids – something many of us are consuming too little of these days.

For a long, long time, humans had an Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio of around 1:1.

But nowadays, this ratio is believed to be 20:1 in favour of Omega-6!

In other words, we’re eating far too many Omega-6 fats (ahem, vegetable oil…) and far too little Omega-3 fats (from oily fish).

The result of this out-of-whack ratio is increased inflammation throughout the body.

So, by increasing your intake of fish oil, you’ll have less inflammation which will help your body recover.

Vitalized Future’s recommendation

I’m a huge fan of Sports Research Wild Pollock capsules.

Each capsule contains a whopping 687mg of EPA and 250mg of DHA, making this one of the strongest fish oil supplements on the market.

I also love that the fish oil is obtained from wild Alaskan pollock, which is much healthier than farmed pollock, since farmed pollock contains high antibiotic, PCB and dioxin levels.

Wild pollock is better for the environment too because pollock farms can pollute coastal waters.

Check price and read more reviews of Sports Research Wild Pollock on Amazon.

4. Ginger

What is Ginger?

Ginger is a spice that comes from the root of the ginger plant, Zingiber officinale.

After the root is broken off from the main plant, it’s washed and then dried in the sun.

Once dried, it’s often used for cooking to add flavour to dishes, whilst some people use it for its medicinal properties.

How does Ginger help muscle soreness?

Ginger is loaded with phytochemicals such as gingerols, shogaol and paradols.

These have been shown to promote strong anti-inflammatory effects, making ginger the king of spices.

(At least in my eyes.)

By reducing inflammation, your body can body can heal much quicker which will speed up the muscle recovery process.

Don’t just take my word for it though – studies have proven this to be true.

For example, a study on 36 subjects had some taking 2g of Ginger before exercise, some taking 2g of Ginger after exercise and some taking a placebo.

The results showed a significant reduction of pain in the group who took the Ginger before exercise.

Vitalized Future’s recommendation

For those of you who are cash strapped, regular ol’ powdered Ginger from the supermarket will do just fine.

Just add some to your favourite meal or stir some in a glass of water and chug.

But for those looking for that extra kick, my gold star goes towards Pure Synergy SuperPure Ginger Extract.

With each capsule containing 425mg of Ginger Extract, it’s a real high-strength product.

(To give you some perspective, 425mg of Ginger Extract is equivalent to over 50,000mg of fresh Ginger!)

The fact that it’s USDA Organic is great too, so you don’t have to worry about those nasty pesticides.

Check price and read more reviews of Pure Synergy SuperPure Ginger Extract on Amazon.

3. BCAAs

What are BCAAs?

BCAAs (short for Branch Chained Amino Acids) are the 3 essential amino acids – Valine, Leucine and Isoleucine.

They’re classed as essential as they can’t be made in the body, so they must be obtained from dietary sources or from taking BCAA supplements.

BCAAs are often taken mid-workout to help prevent muscle catabolism, but recent research has shown that they help muscle soreness too.

How do BCAAs help muscle soreness?

Studies have shown that supplementary BCAAs decrease intramuscular enzymes, namely Creatine Kinase and Lactate Dehydrogenase.

These are both markers of muscle damage after exercise, showing that BCAAs help muscle soreness at the source of pain.

Vitalized Future’s recommendation

Every Optimum Nutrition supplement I’ve used has been top, top quality, so I have no doubt that their BCAAs are excellent too.

As a bonus, they come with Electrolytes to help improve performance, Rhodiola to boost endurance levels and their own blend called Wellmune which helps your immune system.

Check price and read more reviews of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard BCAAs at Amazon.

2. Glutamine

What is Glutamine?

Making up around 60% of your muscles’ amino acid pool, Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body.

Like BCAAs, it’s often supplemented mid-workout to help prevent muscle catabolism, but recent research has shown its potential in other areas, such as gut health.

How does Glutamine help muscle soreness?

When you exercise, micro tears are created in your muscle fibres which create low-level inflammation.

(This inflammation is the main cause of muscle soreness.)

Your body responds by repairing and rebuilding the muscle fibres with the help of amino acids, which results in muscle gains.

As it’s the most abundant amino acid in your muscles, Glutamine plays a vital role in this repair process and helps heal the soreness.

This has been proven in a study, where those who supplemented with Glutamine had less muscle soreness than those who took a placebo.

Vitalized Future’s recommendation

I’ve been using Optimum Nutrition L-Glutamine powder for nearly a year now, and I love it!

It’s reasonably priced, long-lasting and has no dodgy preservatives, so it has my full recommendation.

(In fact, I’m still using the same tub from 10 months ago – it’s lasted me that long!)

Check price and read more reviews of Optimum Nutrition Glutamine Powder at Amazon.

1. Magnesium Spray

What is Magnesium Spray?

Magnesium spray is a form of Magnesium that’s dissolved in water, and is sprayed directly onto the skin.

It’s believed to be the most bioavailable form of Magnesium, meaning your body absorbs and uses it better than other forms, i.e. capsules, tablets, etc.

How does Magnesium Spray help muscle soreness?

Magnesium has been shown to reduce inflammation at a cellular level, which will help your muscles heal and recover.

It’s an important mineral for muscle relaxation too.

But what I love specifically about Magnesium Spray is that it’s absorbed directly where it’s applied.

So, if you have sore leg muscles, then Magnesium Spray applied on your legs will help them specifically.

This makes it super effective and efficient at healing sore areas.

Vitalized Future’s recommendation

This little beauty has been soothing my sore muscles for around 2 months or so.

Although it’s quite expensive, it works pretty much instantly so is worth every single dime in my eyes.

Check price and read more reviews of Ease Magnesium Spray at Amazon.

Conclusion

You now have 5 more weapons to use in the battle against muscle soreness, which are all backed by solid science.

This isn’t to guarantee that they’ll all work though.

We’re all biologically different at the end of the day.

And if one of them doesn’t help your muscle soreness? Then just try another – you’ll win the battle in the end.

Besides, each supplement recommended in this article will improve your health in other ways too, so the worst-case scenario is a healthier you.

Sounds like a risk worth taking to me.

By the way, if you think I’ve missed off a supplement, then please let me know in the comments below.

We’ll all benefit from sharing knowledge with each other!