Muscle fatigue is the decline in ability of a muscle to generate force over time. The result is a feeling of exhaustion or a need to rest because of lack of energy or strength. There are two main causes of muscle fatigue: vigorous exercise/muscle training and medical conditions such as the common cold, poor nutrition or more serious conditions like diabetes.
However, we are concerned solely muscle fatigue due to training. The extent of muscle fatigue you experience depends on what kind of training you’re doing. Muscle fatigue can result from high volume training or any training at all. Let’s take an example of high repetition training. In this kind of training, we perform up to 25-30 reps until failure, and at the end of the set, when we are not able to perform any more repetitions, it means we trained to the limit where muscle fatigue occurs.
How to offset muscle fatigue during your workout?
To decrease muscle fatigue during training, make sure you eat a well-planned pre-workout meal and consume at least 16 ounces of water, 2-3 hours before your workout. This will give your body sufficient time to absorb the nutrients in your pre-workout meal, as well as have your body’s glucose level (the insulin spike) return to normal before hitting the gym. Then, 30-60 minutes prior to your workout, take your pre-workout supplements and your pre-workout snack, if that is part of your diet plan. Sleep play an important role, so make sure that you are getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep during the night. Remember to stay hydrated during your workout!
To put it in simple words, keep your nutrition to the point, hydrate well and get a good night’s sleep.