Eccentric exercises are being used widely as a strategy to manage sarcopenia. However, eccentric exercises are linked to increased risk of myofibre damage and delayed recovery. There is elevated muscle soreness, decrease muscle strength and increased levels of muscle-specific circulatory protein. There is a huge variation in the severity of the symptoms after eccentric exercise. Several factors affect the degree and severity of muscle soreness. It includes exercise intensity, duration, mode, muscle group, age, gender, genetics and nutritional status. Therefore, designing a specific individual exercise plan is required to overcome injuries, myofibre damage and muscle soreness. At present, we still do not have enough knowledge about the exact sources and factors that trigger muscle soreness linked with strenuous exercise. Deep insight and identification of the risk factors which predispose individuals at an increased risk of muscle soreness after unaccustomed exercises may be a key to help them by prescribing personalised exercise therapy to speed up recovery and adaptation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are being used widely to manage muscle soreness, pain and tenderness linked with post exercise complications. But there is more to it than just treating pain. Is there any substantive gain besides pain relief? Can they improve muscle function? Could they prevent muscle soreness or speed up recovery? The current narrative review was planned to discuss the sources and factors that trigger exercise-induced muscle damage. Furthermore, it also provides a comprehensive analysis of the literature concerning the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in reducing symptom and improving muscle function in exercise induced muscle soreness.
Keywords: Sarcopenia, Muscle soreness, Eccentric exercises, NSAIDs.