Why Muscles Hurt (and What to Do About It)
When you struggle to climb stairs the day after a hard workout, should you view your soreness as proof that you’ve worked hard , or as a sign that you’ve overdone it? The truth is somewhere in between. Let’s find out where soreness comes from and how to get rid of it.
What is soreness
This soreness the next day is not due to lactic acid or any toxins produced during exercise. Think about it: if that were the case, the soreness would start in the gym and disappear over time. Instead, it’s called delayed-onset muscle soreness (or DOMS) because it starts after a few hours and peaks (on average) about two days after exercise.
Not as well known as it develops DOMS, but scientists are engaged in physical exercises, agree that people who experience pain also experience muscle damage and recovery . Proteins leave the damaged cells, and fluids and leukocytes rush to the rescue. Over time, muscle cells are healed, new cells are born, and all of them are filled with contractile proteins. Some or all of these reactions are likely to cause pain in us.
What is causing this
Almost any strenuous exercise can be painful, especially if this is your first time exercise . We don’t know why, but someone who is in great shape can still get sick after an unusual workout (like trying a new sport), and someone who is used to their daily routine can avoid soreness even if their training is killer.
However, some types of exercise are more likely to provoke it. The most famous are eccentric exercises , in which the muscle must contract as it lengthens. Think about the part of the bicep curl where you are losing weight; this is a textbook example of eccentric exercise, as the biceps work (to slow down the weight) as it lengthens. Another classic is downhill running or stairs . (Pro tip: If this is your first time running up the stairs to a stadium or skyscraper, run up, but look for an elevator to get back down.)
Stretching can also be painful , especially if it is very severe. This is likely because stretching damages the muscle fibers. Static stretching and ballistic (bouncing) stretching can do this damage. If you want to improve flexibility without pain, a soft static stretch or a dynamic stretch is probably better.
When it’s good
Soreness correlates very well with muscle growth, recovery, and recovery, so in a sense, it’s a sign of good things. If you lead an athletic rat life or an active lifestyle in the fresh air, you will be in pain at least for a while, and this is really normal.
You do not want to be sick all the time or be very sick, but more on that below.
It’s also okay not to get sick.You can build muscle without soreness or stopsoreness after you get used to a particular training regimen. This does not mean that the routine is not working .
When it’s bad
DOMS dirty secret is that it comes with the decline of strength . It’s not just that you don’t feel like exercising. When you are in pain, your muscles cannot produce as much force. This weakness can last longer than soreness, for several days or even, in severe cases, weeks. If you are sick all the time, you may be sabotaging your own workouts because you are not working as hard as you could.
Since soreness and muscle damage go hand in hand, a serious muscle damage that threatens your health, called rhabdomyolysis , manifests itself as severe soreness. If you ever wake up with so much pain that I could hardly move, your muscles are swollen, and you urinate until browned , immediately contact to the hospital. Rhabdo can happen to athletes who do very long and hard workouts (or 100 mile endurance races ), feel that the harder the workout, the better, and are just mentally motivated and foolish enough not to stop when the workout is over. arms. (This can also happen to athletes who trust their coaches when their coaches have the same qualities.) If this paragraph scares you and you’re wondering if half an hour at the gym could lead you to rhabdo this afternoon, relax. … You are not at risk.
What you can (and cannot) do about it
When it hurts you want to do something about it, right? Unfortunately, most of the things people do to relieve soreness usually don’t help.
- Stretching: If you feel good, then good: stretch a little. But it won’t make you feel better for the rest of the day, and vigorous stretching is no better than gentle stretching. Stretching before and after exercising will also not relieve soreness .
- Ice: Ice baths and ice massagedo not relievepain , although cold and numbness can distract you from the pain.
- Compression garments: Wearing them after a workoutcan really help if they fit properly: snug but not very snug.
- Light exercise , such as light jogging, is another thing that will temporarily improve your well-being, butwill not speed up your recovery in any way .
- Massage can help , but it is unclear which type of massage is best and when to do it. While we wait for more science to come, use it if you like it.
- Ibuprofen reduces inflammation, and large doses can reduce soreness. But ibuprofen also interferes with muscle growth , so taking vitamin I is probably not worth it. (Low doses will not do any harm, but they are also unlikely to help with pain.)
- Arnica (sold as homeopathic injectable tablets without actually containing arnica or as a gel) just doesn’twork . Don’t fall for it.
In most cases, it’s best to just wait. It’s good to move on to the next workout, but take iteasy . If the situation is not aggravated, the soreness will subside after a few days. Good sleep and eating are never a bad idea, and the techniques described above can be used if they make you feel better. So yeah, you may have overdone it a little. But you can also take pride in becoming stronger.
Image by William Cowper .