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Why Are Our Muscles Sore After Resistance Training?

Pipestone Flyer

Vol 15, Issue 11, Leduc - Wetaskiwin Pipestone Flyer

The more scientific name for this soreness is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness this refer to the gradually increasing discomfort that occurs between 24 and 48 hours after activity and it is perfectly normal. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common result of physical activity that stresses the muscle tissue beyond what it is accustomed to.

To be more specific, delayed onset muscle soreness occurs when the muscle is performing an eccentric or a lengthening contraction for example this would be the lengthening portion of a biceps curl. Small microscopic tears occur in the muscle causing a mild muscle strain injury creates microscopic damage to the muscle fibers. Scientists believe this damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears, causes the pain. The aches and pains should be minor and are simply indications that muscles are adapting to your fitness regiment. So how do we prevent DOMS? While you may not be able to prevent muscle soreness entirely, you may reduce the intensity and duration of muscles soreness if you follow a few exercise recommendations. You can think of our muscles a lot like elastic bands now if you were to put an elastic band in the freezer for a couple of hours and then pull it out and try to stretch it what would happen? It would probably snap, now if you were to pull the elastic band out of the freezer and sit it on the counter for a few hours and then try to stretch the band it would stretch no problem. This is just like our muscles and that is why warming up throughly before exercising is so important. 

Secondly there is nothing more gratifying than a great cool down and stretch after a workout session. Not only does cooling down allow your body to slowly decrease heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, which in turn prevents blood pooling and the possibility of fainting but stretching also helps elongate the muscles and give them a larger range of motion. 

Finally the most important prevention methods is to gradually increase your workout time and intensities. So if we can’t totally prevent DOMS, when we have it how do we deal with it?

Here are some methods that many people find successful: using active recovery this strategy is performing easy low-impact aerobic exercise increasing blood flow, stretching the muscles that are sore even though stretching alone will not reduces muscle pain or soreness, many people find it simply feels good and rest and finally recovery if you simply wait it out, soreness will go away in three days with no special treatment. With saying that if your pain does not go away with in seven days or increases despite these measures, consult with your physician. 

Hopefillyy these tips will provide you with some relief for DOMS after your workout.

Nikki Dugas Owner of Take