DOMS…DOM, DOM, DOM…DOMMMMSSSS
The big question I always get the day after an intense training session with one of my clients is “why am I so sore the day after a workout?”
Why are my muscles so sore even after weeks of training?
My performance has improved and I’m getting stronger, but the soreness won’t stop.
What am I doing wrong? Why do they keep getting sore?
The soreness you experience the day after working out, or sometimes even two or three days after, is often confused with lactic acid build up but is actually called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, also known as DOMS.
DOMS can develop as early as 6-8 hours post exercise but may intensify between 24-72 hours.
Micro-tears in the muscle caused by the exercise are what thought to be the cause of soreness.
More specifically, the “negative” or the range of motion in the exercise (where the muscle lengthens while force is being applied) is the culprit of said micro damage and soreness. DOMS seems to just be a side effect of the healing and repair process of the muscles and should typically only last 3-5 days.
DOMS vs Lactic Acid
So what is lactic acid, where does it come from, and what does it do?
Lactic acid, not to be confused with or associated with DOMS, is an acid by-product of energy
production via metabolizing carbohydrates: also known as anaerobic glycolysis.
Your body typically coasts along using fats for fuel. However, as you increase the intensity during exercise, your body will transition to using a faster source of energy or fuel: carbohydrates.
The more you use carbs as an energy source the more lactic acid your body will produce. The body can’t flush the lactic acid as quickly as it produces it which causes accumulation and tends to cause a burning sensation in the muscle, fatigues the muscle quicker, elevates the heart rate, and has you breathing rapidly.
Typically within an hour of completing your training, the lactic acid is flushed from the area.
So what can you do to help minimize the soreness?
Each person’s body is different and will react differently to training and my suggestions below.
Here are my best tips that will help aid you in recovery time and minimize your soreness:
• Increase water intake
• Stretch
• Whey protein
• Glutamine
• BCAAs
• Creatine Monohydrate
Ultimately, soreness is inevitable and is something that you will learn to love!
To demand the most of your body, you must know your body!
In Fitness and Health,
Richard Berrian
Team LiveFit Personal Trainer
#gunslikerich
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