And the subsequent muscle soreness that comes along with a hard workout? With few exceptions, this same aching, throbbing, hobbling, dull pain that makes it harder to roll out of bed in the morning...is a good thing! Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a sign that our muscles are rebuilding themselves, bigger, faster, stronger. DOMS is a sign that we worked out to overload - that is, we put more demand on our body than it was accustomed to before. And overload is the only way to make progress in our fitness goals.
The big myth about DOMS that we need to get away from if we want to have an understanding of our body's beautiful adaptive mechanisms, is that it's caused by lactic acid buildup in the muscles. This is an old wives' tale still floating about at gyms and in less-than-reputable fitness magazines. Instead, DOMS is caused by microscopic tears at the level of the muscle fiber. More tearing = more soreness. Now don't freak out! While the idea of tearing a muscle conjures up all sorts of images of slings and braces and other medical equipment, this tiny microscopic tearing is exactly what we want to happen if we hope to build bigger muscles and get stronger. Provided we give our muscles sufficient time to recover, our bodies will repair muscle fibers so they can handle the stress we put on them. That is, they will register the overload and adapt to the new and changing environment to make sure we are better able to handle it the next time.
How can you tell the "good" pain (DOMS) from the "bad" pain (injury and overtraining)? Truthfully, it's not always easy. But here are a few tips:
- Delayed-onset muscle soreness typically goes away after a few days of rest, while injuries often take much longer to heal.
- Strains, sprains, breaks - these injuries tend to come on fast, and generally, you can tell even during a workout that you've done something to injure yourself. DOMS often doesn't present until a day or two AFTER you've worked out.
- Are you feeling sharp, shooting or stabbing pains? That's likely an injury - go see a doc!
- Injuries are often visible - you can sometimes see bruising, redness, or swelling at the site of an injury.
Don't let a fear of soreness scare you away from exercise! One of the best parts about starting a consistent exercise routine is that DOMS tends to very quickly get less and less as you get used to moving your body against resistance. I've met athletes and fitness buffs who crave DOMS, finding it more and more difficult to make their muscles sore as they are accustomed to years of intense training. But for the average joe, DOMS may make exercise a fearful prospect. Don't sweat it - there are ways to deal with muscle soreness that will greatly improve one's exercise experience. Including:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, can reduce pain when it gets intense. (As always, get medical advice from doctors if there are any reasons why OTC pain meds may be contraindicated.)
- REST! Take time between your workouts to recover. If you intend to workout every day, make sure you are alternating the muscle groups you focus on. Did you work your arms yesterday? Give 'em a break and work your legs the next day.
- Warm up and cool down properly. Ease into your workout with a good warm up to get the muscles ready for exercise, and cool down with some easy aerobics and stretching. Don't skip these parts of your workout!
- Progress at a moderate rate. Don't believe for a second that every time you head to the gym or start your workout that you have to do better than the time before. Such a tactic is a path towards overtraining and injury.
- Listen to your body, and treat it well. Eat well. Get enough sleep. Hydrate.
Delayed-onset muscle soreness is a beautiful thing. It's the body doing what it was designed to do - adapt. Take it slow, take it one day at a time, but don't let a little soreness get in the way of pursuing your fitness goals.
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