Experiencing Muscle Soreness?
By Dr. Rick Kattouf II
Often
times, individuals experience muscle soreness following a workout. Is this
soreness normal? How do I differentiate muscle soreness from a potential
injury? Let's dive into this a bit further.
Is
muscle soreness normal?
"Muscles
go through quite a bit of physical stress when we exercise," says Rick Sharp, professor of exercise
physiology at Iowa State University in Ames. "Mild soreness is just
a natural outcome of any kind of physical activity, he says. "And they're
most prevalent in beginning stages of a program."
You
may have heard of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). This is where muscle
soreness can intensify 24-48 hours following a workout. This can be a good sign
that the muscles are adapting to the fitness program. But, with that being
said, muscular soreness, following a workout, that is so excessive, where
normal activities of daily living become a challenge, is not the muscular
soreness that we are striving for.
We
want to redefine what a "great workout" truly is. All too often, an
individual's mindset is that they have to be absolutely cracked and beat down following a workout, for it to be a great
workout. This would not be the
definition of a great workout. A workout like this is going to leave the
individual with excessive, over-the-top muscle soreness and fatigue, that can
last for many days. The individuals’ workout quality over the next couple of
days (that is of course, if they can even get to their workout because they are
so sore), will be completely compromised. And this is exactly why we want to
redefine what a great workout is.
A great workout is one where we feel great
following the workout. The soreness is normal and expected. We can recover
quickly from the workout and do it again tomorrow, and the next day and the
next day, etc.
And
this is where heart rate training becomes so valuable during cardiovascular
training. When we can monitor, physiologically, our intensity; we can then
guarantee ourselves a great workout. When we work out smarter (not harder) and
we work out in the proper heart rate zones, this will leave us with a phenomenal
workout. One where we experience the normal muscular soreness, but we can
recover quickly, and put together a highly productive workout each day
thereafter; now that's the definition of a great workout!
In
addition, strength training can tend to create an excessive amount of muscle soreness,
especially if the individual takes on too much at one session. And this is
where the LEANDWON FITNESS® virtual
gym becomes a huge assist for individuals when it comes to their strength
training workouts. Each exercise is described in verbiage and video, enabling
the individual to perform each exercise properly. In addition, the number of
sets, reps, rounds, etc. are prescribed so that the individual does not have to
guess how much they should perform that session and potentially overdo it. A repair
& recovery day is also prescribed in LEANDOWN FITNESS®. When we combine the
necessary repair & recovery with the proper heart rate training and the
proper strength training workouts, this is the 1-2-3 combination that will help
lead to great success.
When
is it more than muscle soreness?
When
it comes to post-exercise muscle soreness and delayed onset muscle soreness,
many times, individuals have a hard time determining whether the soreness they
are experiencing is normal, or if an injury may be brewing. According to
Orthopedic Surgeon, James Loging, MD, "the
onset of the pain can be a determining factor. An injury and DOMS can feel
similar and that is why the onset and duration of the pain is a key factor. DOMS
will peak about 2 days following a workout. Therefore, if the pain is not
getting better, or if it gets worse, this could be a sign that it's more
than just normal muscular soreness. In terms of the onset of pain; if pain and
discomfort is sudden and occurs during a specific exercise, during the workout,
this would be more serious than the typical DOMS."
Often
times, an injury only becomes an injury because it is not addressed upon the
onset. Let's say, for example, an individual has a sudden onset of calf muscle
pain and discomfort while running. Trying to 'run thru' such pain, more
often than not, will exacerbate the issue and lead to an injury. One big key is
to listen to the body. Give the body a couple of days of repair and recovery
and/or eliminate the exercise/activity for a few days that caused the pain. On
the flipside, when it comes to normal DOMS, "continued physical activity while experiencing normal muscle soreness
is good to help assist in working out the soreness", according to Dr.
Loging.
According
to Chiropractic Physician, Rob Bousquet, DC, "Onset of soreness is a determining factor (was the pain immediate or
delayed onset). In addition, is the soreness general or more point-specific? If
the pain is localized and more point-specific, this could be more likely an
injury than normal muscle soreness." Dr. Rob goes on to say, "does the injury fit the workout and is it
repeatable? For example, if the same exercise that caused the pain, is still
causing the same pain, this could be a sign that this is more than just normal
muscular soreness from exercise."
When
it comes to recovering from muscular soreness, ice on the sore muscles is
always a good first line of defense. In addition, stretching is a big key for
recovery from muscle soreness. Also, using the foam roller (self-myofascial
release) can help to assist in relieving muscle soreness and joint stress. If
muscular pain and discomfort persists, be sure to seek out a professional for
an evaluation.
SHOW YOUR WORKOUT WHO’S BOSS®!
Download
the TeamKattouf® Nutrition LLC app: Apple Android
Rick Kattouf II, O.D. is a 2x Best-Selling Author and Fitness & Nutrition expert and has been named one of America’s PremierExperts® and one of the World Fitness Elite® Trainers of the Year. Rick is a Sports Nutrition Specialist, Heart Rate Performance Specialist, Master Personal Trainer & Triathlon Coach. He has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates around the country as well as in the USA Today, Chicago Tribune, National Examiner, Ironman.com, Livestrong.com, Runner’s World, Bicycling Magazine, Men’s Health UK, FIGHT! Magazine, Florida Cycling Magazine and The Independent in the UK. Rick is the CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Inc, CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Nutrition LLC, CEO/Founder of Virtual Gym LLC, Creator of TeamKattouf® Nutrition Supplements, Host of Rx Nutrition, author of Forever Fit, Creator of 5-Round Fury® Nutrition Supplement, 5-Round Fury Fitness® workout app, Creator of Coach2CEO, Creator of Fuel Keeper®, Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. Dr. Rick has personally coached individuals in 30+ states and 10+ countries.
