Why are my muscles sore after exercise?
According to the Forbes Health/One Poll survey, in 2023 ‘improved fitness’ is a New Year’s resolution that has been made by around 39%* of people.
Whether you are starting a new fitness programme for your New Year’s resolution or are a veteran gym goer, muscle soreness following a workout is extremely common, and can often be a contributing factor to giving up or stopping a new programme.
Muscle soreness usually does not occur right away, and starts about 12-24 hours after exercising, peaking between 24-72 hours. This delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) was long thought to have been caused by a build up of lactic acid within the muscles, as when we complete high intensity exercise, our bodies produce lactic acid as a byproduct. However, most of this build up has completely gone about one hour post-exercise, long before our muscles start to ache, hence this theory has largely been disproven.
So what does cause muscle soreness?
During exercise, the muscle and surrounding connective tissues become damaged and form tiny micro-tears causing an inflammatory response. This is now thought to be the reason for post-exercise muscle soreness.
What can I do about it?
Generally, DOMS will resolve fully on its own within a few days, but may cause reduced range of movement and muscle performance in this time. If you are new to exercise, as you become stronger and fitter and your muscles become more able to deal with the stresses put on them during exercise, it is likely that the duration and severity of DOMS will reduce.
There are several things you can do, during and after your workout, to help reduce the effects of DOMS:
- Stay hydrated: drinking water helps fluid move through your system, delivering nutrients and flushing out waste products to aid recovery.
- Don’t neglect sleep: sleeping has been shown to increase protein production which aids the muscle repair process. Adults should be aiming for at least 7 hours per night!
- Light exercise: The day after an intense workout, complete some light exercise. This may be in the form of a walk, swim or cycle. This will help improve blood flow and nutrient delivery to muscles to help recovery.
- Post-exercise massage: Myofascial release using tools such as foam rollers or massage guns, when used immediately after exercise, can be useful to reduce DOMS. In addition, regular sports massage helps to increase blood flow to muscles, reducing tension and stiffness to boost recovery.
The good news is, DOMS is often a positive sign following exercise. It suggests the muscle is adapting and becoming stronger, therefore the training was effective!
If you think you might benefit from regular sports massage, Elevate Physiotherapy offers several different options and loyalty schemes to cover all requirements. Please give us a call if you would like to discuss further, and one of our team will be happy to help.
*source: forbes.com
