Oh, My Aching Muscles!
The alarm sounds, and as you roll to turn it off, you realize one problem: You can’t move and when you try, your muscles protest louder than they did when you took them to the gym the day before. Your mind is saying, “Move,” but your body is shouting, “Not a chance!” What in the world is happening?
This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Following exercise, typically 24-72 hours after a strenuous workout. Some experts blame the discomfort of DOMS on the build-up of lactic acid in muscle tissues; however, there is an ongoing debate about the exact cause and treatment of DOMS. The more likely culprit in DOMS is trauma to muscle fibers that aren’t properly conditioned.
Resistance training creates tiny tears in muscle fibers. These tears result in soreness and inflammation which leads to the classic symptoms of soreness and stiffness people experience after a workout. Although any type of exercise can cause DOMS, eccentric movements seem to cause the most soreness.
You will want to skip the exercising, maybe forever. Believe me, this will not last forever. Your body will adapt to the stress of exercise, and you will not continually experience the same degree of stress.
In order to reduce muscle soreness, first and foremost, do a good warm-up before you begin your exercise routine. During a dynamic warm-up, the temperature of the muscles increases prior to them being placed under stress. In addition, allow your body to adapt to new exercise routines.
Secondly, an anti-inflammatory diet may help to prevent DOMS since it stems from muscle inflammation. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, tart cherry juice, chocolate milk and black tea extract all reduce muscle inflammation after a workout according to some studies.
Finally, ease into your workout, especially if the last workout you did was done with a Jane Fonda VHS tape. Resistance training is also an area that strength needs to be built up and intensity should be increased gradually. Vary the intensity of your workouts each day, and make sure to get at least one day of rest during the week. I also recommend Post Workout Recovery shakes and Nighttime Recovery, which both help muscles to recover more quickly.
Challenge yourself, be good to yourself, and take care of those muscles. Here’s to healthy living.
