Although painful, soreness is a positive response of the body to exercise and helps to know if one has exceeded in physical activity.
The spring weather may prompt you to start running outside or consider going back to the gym, now that the coronavirus is perceived as less of a risk. Perhaps he feels that he is out of shape and is probably setting himself up for muscle soreness after the first real workout.
What is this pain due to? Is it an indicator of damage or growth? And how to deal with it? Is it better to rest or continue exercising?
Exercise scientists call these so-called morning sores after a workout Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). “DOMS is a normal process of muscles adapting to some unknown movement,” says Heather Vincent, a sports medicine specialist and director of the University of Florida Health Sports Performance Center.
The movement may be unfamiliar because you haven’t done that exercise in months or because you’ve increased the intensity.
Pain and tenderness in overworked muscles typically peak 24 to 72 hours after activity. It is a series of physiological events that occur in and around the muscle.
DOMS occurs with a particular type of movement: the one that loads the muscles while they are long or lengthening. These are called eccentric movements, says Vincent, “like dumbbell bicep curls or lowering into a squat.” In my case, it’s my quads when I go down the mountain. In contrast, DOMS does not generally occur with isometric (when the muscle does not change length) or concentric (when the muscle shortens) movement.
When the muscles are not used to movement – or to the weight and resistance of movement – the muscle fibers undergo mechanical stress and small tears occur in their membranes.
Keith Baar, Professor of Physiology and Membrane Biology at the University of California at Davis, explains that muscles are made up of muscle fibers connected to each other by proteins called dystrophins, which work like rivets. When the muscle gets used to working, the rivets help the individual muscle fibers to work as a well-coordinated team to move the body.
Without physical training, however, Baar says, “these connections weaken. So when you exercise, they slip and shear.” The rivets pull on the membranes, causing small tears. This causes a series of chemical events in the muscle, including unregulated muscle fiber contractions, an influx of immune cells, and increased pressure and swelling.
This may sound bad, but Vincent reminds me, “This is normal.” The repair process not only corrects tears, but also helps the muscle get stronger, so it is better prepared for a similar move in the future.
“Inflammation is necessary to help regenerate injured muscle,” says Baar. “When you start a new exercise program, you can have more days of pain.”
In addition, the muscles of older people tend to suffer more damage than those of young people. So as you get older, Baar says, “exercise is more likely to cause pain and DOMS is more likely to last longer.”
To avoid discomfort, work slowly until you reach the activity you want to do. In the gym, you can start working with your body weight only, before adding weights. You’ll probably do sets of squats or lunges before heading out on your first all-day hike of the summer. These gradual steps help the muscles adapt more slowly and with less pain.
And what about sources of relief, like ice or over-the-counter pain relievers?
Either of the two treatments can reduce discomfort, but they are not recommended. This is due to the dual nature of delayed onset muscle soreness: it is both a repair and a strengthening process. “If you block DOMS, the muscle doesn’t grow as much,” says Baar.
An exception may be made for athletes who are scheduled to compete on a day on which they experience muscle soreness. And it is that, in addition to causing discomfort and pain, DOMS interferes with sports performance. The athlete might prioritize that day’s performance versus gaining long-term strength.
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