Delayed muscle soreness. It's the name of the stiff pain you
feel as you roll over and reach to turn off the morning alarm
after a day in which you trained unusually hard or tried a new
exercise. Some people feel there's no better reward; others
cease to exercise. What everyone should know is that there is a
way to prevent this muscle soreness.
What Causes Sore Muscles?
There are two types of exercise-related muscle soreness.
Immediate muscle soreness quickly dissipates and is the pain you
feel during, or immediately after, exercise. Delayed muscle
soreness signals a natural adaptive process that the body
initiates following intense exercise. It manifests 24 to 48
hours after the exercise session and spontaneously decreases
after 72 hours.
Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the cause
of delayed muscle soreness, and the theories have been many and
controversial. The most current research attributes it to
microscopic tears in the muscle and surrounding connective
tissue following eccentric exercise (see 'Feeling a Little
Eccentric?'). Those who experience delayed muscle soreness
include conditioned individuals who increase the intensity,
frequency or duration of their workouts, or participate in an
activity that they are unfamiliar with. Beginning exercisers, or
those who have undergone a significant lapse in training,
frequently experience soreness when starting a new exercise
program.
Studies on the best methods to alleviate delayed muscle
soreness are almost as abundant as the number of studies
conducted to determine its cause. Cryotherapy (the topical
application of ice), massage, stretching, and the use of
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), among other less
conventional approaches, have been tested to determine if they
can prevent delayed muscle soreness or are effective treatments.
To date, no therapy that hastens the decrease of delayed muscle
soreness has been found, however some of the therapies
previously mentioned may have a minor impact if initiated
immediately after intense or unusual exercise.
The Good News
Once you induce delayed onset muscle soreness at a specific
exercise intensity, you shouldn't experience that sensation
again until intensity is increased. This is because delayed
muscle soreness has been shown to produce a rapid adaptation
response, which means that the muscles adapt to an exercise
intensity. Until it is changed, soreness won't occur. This is
the basis for the most widely recommended approach to preventing
delayed muscle soreness: Gradual progression and conservative
increases in intensity, frequency or duration. Preliminary light
exercise may prevent the onset of soreness following a heavy
eccentric-exercise workout. Beginners should exercise with light
weights, two to three times per week for one or two months, then
gradually build. Already-conditioned exercisers who want to try
a new workout or sport also should begin gradually, taking care
not to be overzealous.
Feeling a Little Eccentric?
A muscle contracts eccentrically when it lengthens under tension
during exercise. For example, during a biceps curl, the biceps
muscle shortens during the concentric lifting phase and
lengthens during the eccentric lowering phase. Eccentric
contractions also can occur during aerobic activity, such as
downhill running, in which the quadriceps muscle repeatedly
lengthens against gravity to lower the center of mass and aid in
shock absorption.
