Bodytalk
Question: Why do I feel sore a couple of days after a hard workout instead of right away? There’s a reason
exercise hurtsAnswer: The soreness you're referring to is DOMS -- delayed onset muscle soreness. Actually there are two common kinds of exercise-related muscle soreness. One we call acute soreness, which occurs during or immediately after exercise; the other is DOMS, which develops 12 hours or longer after intense exercise.
Acute soreness usually reflects fundamental fatigue, caused by a build-up of the chemical waste products of exercise. Sometimes we refer to acute soreness as "the burn." Acute soreness usually subsides after a couple of minutes of rest. Once the pain is gone you can continue exercising. If acute soreness doesn't go away after a couple of minutes, stop the activity and rest the part of the body involved. Never proceed with your workout until you're able to exercise without pain.
DOMS is a normal response to exertion, and is part of the adaptation process that eventually leads to better toned muscles and greater strength. DOMS usually peaks within two days following a strenuous workout.
So what actually causes DOMS? It's thought to be the result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fiber. Swelling may also take place in and around the muscle. This swelling increases pressure on the surrounding tissues, resulting in further pain and stiffness. The degree of swelling and tearing depends on the intensity of the workload, how long the workout lasted, and what kind of exercise was involved. Activities in which the muscles are forced to contract while they are lengthening tend to cause the greatest soreness. These eccentric contractions, as they are called, provide a braking action. Some examples are walking down stairs, running downhill and the lowering phase of a weightlifting exercise.
If your goal is to progress in your workout, develop a better physique or run a faster mile, you'll have to experience some degree of DOMS. This is especially true if you're a weightlifter. In order for a muscle to restructure, which is the goal of weightlifting, it needs to be challenged or worked very hard.
There are steps you can take to keep DOMS to a minimum. Warm up thoroughly before you exercise. Stretch your muscles after a workout, and if you're a weight lifter, stretch during your training sessions as well. Be sure to take a 48-hour rest between vigorous workouts, and remember that the period of recovery is as crucial to exercise progression as the workout itself.
Stephenie Karony is a certified health and fitness instructor,
a personal trainer and author of "Body Shaping With Free Weights.''
Send questions to bodytalk@maui.net or visit http://www.BodyTalkForHealth.com.Health Events