Series of Myths: Muscle Soreness - What's Fact, What's Fiction?

Muscle soreness seems to go hand in hand with exercise and physical activity. Most people expect to feel some sort of pain following a good workout session, and others avoid exercise altogether because of the soreness that will most likely ensue. However, few regular exercisers know what soreness really is, what it's caused by, and how to avoid it. Prepare to be enlightened.

The muscle soreness you feel following a workout is most likely what the scientific community has termed Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). You may have heard of this term. DOMS is experienced as pain and inflammation in the muscles, decreased range of motion, and decreased strength of the affected muscles. It can be felt within 8-12 hours following exercise and last 24-72 hours. In fact, complete recovery may sometimes take up to 3 weeks. DOMS is most closely associated with eccentric muscle contractions (the breaking or decelerating type of contraction--picture downhill running) or exercises that one is unaccustomed to. This type of muscle soreness is generally caused by a sequence of events beginning with damage to the muscle structure, accumulation of calcium, release of intracellular proteins, and inflammation that activates the pain receptors. There are plenty of complex chemical reactions that occur following exercise and subsequent tissue damage, and any of these reactions can have some effect on soreness.

A common myth associated with soreness is that lactic acid buildup is a cause. Muscle and blood lactate levels actually return to normal levels 30-60 minutes after exercise. (If light activity is performed, lactic acid is removed much quicker.) So if soreness is typically felt 8-12 hours following the workout, then lactic acid is not to blame. It's already gone. Furthermore, the biggest culprit of severe soreness is eccentric contractions such as those done by the muscles when running downhill. Studies have shown that running downhill produces less lactate than on flat ground. So if you're more sore after running downhill, but you formed less lactate, then lactic acid is not the cause.

Another common myth is that if you're not sore after a workout, then it's not working anymore. This is not true, because there are definite ways to reduce the occurence of DOMS. Performing a thorough warm-up prior to activity has been shown to significantly reduce soreness because it increases overall muscle function. Another way to reduce soreness is to gradually allow the muscles to adapt to the stress rather than jumping right into it. Finally, by performing more bouts of eccentric exercise the muscles will adapt to it and will be strong enough to handle the loads. For example, if you perform more bouts of downhill running your muscles will adapt and no longer respond with soreness.

However, we must address the fact that one of the causes of DOMS is unaccustomed exercise. It is well known that changing your routine often and adding variety is important for progressing and seeing continued benefits. So, these various changes may cause necessary soreness. But if you don't feel sore even though you are on a well-designed and periodized program, it may be that you are just easing into it well enough and warming-up sufficiently to prevent soreness. It doesn't mean it's not working.

Every body is different. Because soreness is a result of many variables, chemical and mechanical, it will be experienced so differently from person to person. Chronic soreness can be a predictor of overtraining, but most people should not judge the effectiveness of their training program by whether they are sore or not. Be sure to be following a program that progresses, uses many multi-joint exercises to challenge all the muscle groups of your body, and provides variety and interest. If you are doing this, soreness my occur, but now you will know why...

Series of Myths: Being a Gym Member = Getting in Shape

This may be shocking to some, but signing up for a gym membership does not automatically make you healthier. Millions of Americans are believing this myth without even realizing it. You may have really, really good intentions, but just being in the environment of a gym for a couple days a week will not, by osmosis or immersion, get you in shape. If you get a gym membership, you have to USE IT...as in actually work while you're there!!

I have had various gym memberships over the years and there is a prevailing phenomenon that I witness at every gym: gym-goers coming in with nice workout outfits and water bottles, a pile of magazines, and their eyes claiming the prized elliptical or treadmill with a good view of the TV. Next, they get themselves set up with their earphones plugged in and magazine gossip ready to go. The next 30-60 minutes are spent at a somewhat leisurely pace as they watch the calorie counter slowly count out the calories. As soon as those calories hit 150-200, or their playlist is over, whichever happens first, they split. Mark it down as another successful workout! Is this you?!?!

So they may have actually burned 200 calories, but I guarantee you they're not in any better shape. There is a principle in exercise science termed SAID: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. This basically means that your body will adapt in accordance to the specific demands that are placed upon it. If you are only demanding a leisurely stroll on an elliptical machine, your body will adapt and become very efficient at strolling leisurely on an ellliptical and nothing more. This is only imposing demands on very few muscles and barely elevates the cardiovascular system. You will not see results this way.

You must impose more serious demands to achieve more serious results. Don't waste your time on the machines at such a light intensity, even though it says your burning calories. In fact, avoid the treadmill, elliptical, and stair-stepper altogether. Get out on the floor, push some serious weights around, move your body hard, and sweat profusely. Now you're really working out.

So, here's your plan. I've tried to lay it out in black and white for you, so it should be a no-brainer:

• Go to the gym ready to work...leave the magazines at the door.
• Don't even look at the cardio machines.
• Perform a dynamic warm-up to start with.
• Spend the next 30-40 minutes performing a circuit style strength training workout with minimal rest between sets. This should target all of your muscle groups...don't worry about upper vs. lower days.
• Foam roll and stretch your major muscle groups following your workout to bring your body back down to resting level and to immediately start the recovery process.
• Think about the smoothie or meal your going to eat right after your workout to further this recovery process.
• Leave the gym knowing you had a much better workout than all the bored people plugging away on the cardio machines.

If you start working out like this, you'll really be getting your money's worth for your gym membership. I guarantee it. If you need help designing a workout to do at your gym, contact me at megan@dahlmanelite.com and I will design something for you that will impose some serious demands!