Why are muscles sore after exercise?
Longevity Exercise Physiology Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Marrickville, Castle Hill, Randwick, Pymble, Kingsgrove, Neutral Bay, and Coburg, would today like to discuss why our muscles get sore after we exercise. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can be an unpleasant part of our workout, but it is normal, and part of the process of a healthy exercise routine. Usually DOMS doesn’t set in right away – it takes around 24-72 hours to develop, and can last a few days. Again, this is a totally normal process, provided the pain is tolerable, and not indicative of damage, like a strain or a tear.
Why do our muscles get sore?
A common theory behind why DOMS develops is due to the build-up of lactic acid in the muscle during exercise, however lactic acid actually clears away completely before DOMS even sets in. So then, why do our muscles get sore?
Well, the main reason is because simply, exercise ‘damages’ our muscles. This can sound scary, but damage to muscle tissue is a completely normal part of the exercise process. In fact, damage to the muscle is completely necessary for growth because during the repair process our muscles become stronger.
“…Damage to muscle tissue is a completely normal part of the exercise process… and is necessary for growth”.
During exercise, little micro-tears appear in the muscle tissue, which triggers inflammation. The soreness that we feel after exercise is a combination of these tears and the inflammation required to heal them. So, if anything, DOMS is a clear, immediate sign that our muscles are working hard and getting stronger.
What type of exercise causes DOMS?
Usually more damage to the muscle tissue occurs during the eccentric or ‘lengthening’ phase of the movement. Therefore, DOMS tends to be worse after eccentric training, or higher-rep sessions, and even activities like running downhill that involve more ‘lengthening’ of the muscle fibres.
How can I stop DOMS?
As mentioned before, DOMS is a normal consequence of a healthy exercise routine, and there is no way to prevent it as such. Unfortunately, no-one is immune to DOMS – even bodybuilders, athletes and regular exercisers experience DOMS.
However, there are things we can do to help manage it, or help it subside much faster. Things like a heat pack or ointment to relax the muscle tissue, massage, foam rolling and active recovery or cool-down, such as walking or yoga, can all help to relax the muscles, and reduce the sensation of soreness.
It’s also important to be kind to yourself when you’re in the middle of a bout of DOMS. Often when our muscles are sore, it can be hard to push ourselves as much as when are muscles aren’t sore, which can be quite frustrating. So it’s important to reduce the intensity a little bit and work on other muscle groups and leave those PBs for later, once your muscles have had some time to recover.
If you’re new to exercise, and you’ve been struggling with DOMS and recovery give Longevity Exercise Physiology a call on 1300 964 002 and get some help today!
References
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/sore-muscles-dont-stop-exercising