Have you ever wondered if the unbelievable pain you feel after a workout is a sign of a good workout or a sign that you've overdone it? The truth, however, lies somewhere in the middle.
While some fitness enthusiasts wear their soreness as a badge of honor, others rarely feel anything the next day. Both outcomes are perfectly normal and reasonable.
So, what exactly is it that causes this? Does it really make a difference? The answer is yes, but It is complicated, and there is a lot of Misconceptions about Delayed onset muscle Soreness. Here, we are Going to Discuss that.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
The soreness you feel after a workout is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS for short. While discomfort is the most noticeable feature of DOMS, reduced motion range, joint stiffness, and decreased muscle strength are also common. DOMS affects some people immediately and lasts for days, while it affects others one to two days after a workout and is only temporary. ( We'll delve a little deeper into that below.
Some people believe that DOMS is caused by lactic acid buildup in the body, but this is not the case. Lactate is a by-product of muscle metabolism that is usually flushed from the body within an hour of finishing a workout. Exercise, on the other hand, causes tiny tears in your muscles.
These tears are what cause the muscles to repair themselves, which results in your gains! This microtrauma is most likely to blame for the treatment of DOMS.
Factors Causing DOMS
While the amount of tearing is determined by the workload and intensity of your workout, there are numerous other factors that influence the amount of soreness (and when it occurs). If you're in pain, genetics, hydration, cumulative movement, and cool-down and warm-up activities all play a role. Let's talk about it a little more.
Genetics plays a significant role in whether or not you experience DOMS. Some people have a low or no response to muscle conditioning, while others have a high response. There's nothing you can do to change it.
For example, The following days, when one is a high-responder and the other a low, two similarly trained women lifting the same amount of weight during an exercise will feel sorrow at another level.
The amount of soreness you feel during and after a workout can also be influenced by hydration. Drinking water will help before, during, and after a workout. If you're planning a longer or more intense workout, you might want to try an electrolyte replacement. Including breaks in your workout will, of course, be beneficial. Keep in mind that the hotter and more humid your location is, the more hydration you'll need all of the time.
Do you work vigorously in the morning but sit while at work for an extended period of time? The soreness you're experiencing could be a result of this. The good news is that by increasing your daily movement — particularly in the hours after your workout — you may be able to avoid some of the discomforts. Instead of hitting the bleachers, try standing up while on the phone, taking the stairs, parking in the last row of the lot, or going for a walk while your kids are at practice.
How to Help Reduce DOMS
For years, we believed that static stretching before and after a workout would eliminate DOMS (holding a stretch for 30 seconds or more). Unfortunately, this isn't the case. According to research, including a proper warm-up and cool-down can help prepare the muscles for the work ahead, which may be beneficial in the DOMS department. They are, however, beneficial! Think of these two workouts as transitional periods rather than "stages." Pain-relieving treatments such as TENS, IFT, and cryotherapy have also been found to be beneficial in some studies.
The warm-up assists you in transitioning into intense movement; the most important component of this pre-workout phase is moving from smaller motions to larger movement ranges over time! The cool-down helps you return to your regular routine by undoing the damage you've just done to your body.
Comments
Post a Comment