HealthyLinking.com: Health Directory, Healthy Living Information, Physical Activity Guide

Muscle Soreness After Exercise

Many individuals judge the quality of their exercise session from the amount of pain they experience afterwards. These individuals are convinced by the old adage "No Pain No Gain". Research on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) has demonstrated that here may in fact be some truth to this phrase.

Recall in a previous article presented on this website dealing with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, we discussed the high probability that muscular pain after exercise results from actual muscle damage. This damage is viewed by the immune system as would any other injury and as a result, an inflammatory response is initiated to start the healing process. Several substances and chemicals are released during an inflammatory response and are thought to enhance the sensation of pain by excessively stimulating the nerve endings in the damaged tissue. So since pain is associated with muscle damage, in some cases it may be a fair indicator of a "good workout" or running session. The repair and healing of damaged muscle allows for hypertrophy or enlargement of the muscle fiber by the addition of myofibrils, thus increasing the cross sectional area.

Excessive muscle pain that continues for more than several days or continuously however is not desirable, as this is often an indicator of athlete overtraining or over-reaching. It must be stressed that if pain is experienced, it should be a "good" pain that is, not originating in the joints and should resolve within a couple of days. As exercise becomes more regular and the exerciser more accustomed to it, it will be noticed however that it becomes increasingly harder to elicit the same painful muscle response. The reason for this is unclear at this time but it is suggested that an exercise session that causes DOMS has a protective effect on subsequent exercise - lasting several weeks. Again it is unclear the exact mechanisms behind this protective effect.

In conclusion then, a regular exerciser should not place a high value on the "No Pain No Gain" evaluation of their workout, as their muscles will be less susceptible to the effects of DOMS. Rather it is suggested to concentrate on other factors such as strict technique and exercise variety so as to avoid undue stress on the joints and overtraining of single muscle groups.

David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com

NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this note, author information and all LIVE website links as above.

Food for Healthy Nails
Nails are a protective horn at the end of our most sensitive extremities: fingers and toes. They can often become injured from accidents or crushing weight such as heavy walking or running.

Keep that 2007 New Year's Resolution and Get Your Pet Into Shape with Fitness Camp at Dog Paddle Hydrotherapy & Wellness
Combining nutritional counseling with exercise to help overweight pets feel better and live longer, happier lives.

Make The Elephant Jump -- Leading With A Kind Heart
Leadership is not about getting people to do what they want. If they did what they want, you wouldn't be needed as a leader.

Healthy Supplements Make Diet Pills Obsolete!
Diet PillsTaking diet pills is definitely not an effective weight loss strategy, because as soon as you stop taking them, all the weight you lost will return with a vengeance, because..

Is Conflict Healthy in Marriage?
Today my three-year-old daughter told my husband that she wants to be married. When he asked her why, she replied, "Because you get to be nice to one another".

Top 5 Ways A Medical Billing Company Can Assist A Physician
Owning a medical practice can be overwhelming at times. Treating patients is the main objective of every physician, however, there are times when billing issues seem to take over and there is not enough time in the day to do both.

Insurance Lead Provider ProspectZone Doubles Select Health Lead Production
Continued innovations by ProspectZone has doubled health insurance lead production for Smart Leads Select, the premier insurance leads program. ProspectZone's conversion engineers and marketing teams have just completed internal and external improvements to extend its industry leadership in providing the best insurance leads in the industry.

Study Reveals Women Who Proactively Manage Their Finances Are Healthier and Happier : Highlights health benefits for men and women of managing finan
Women looking to improve their health and happiness may want to review their portfolio before revving up the treadmill. A new study commissioned by financial security company Northwestern Mutual, in partnership with LLuminari, a national network of evidence-based health experts, indicates that women who actively take control of their finances are healthier and happier than those who don?t.

Healthy Living through Free, Natural Breathing
A powerful tool that is always overlooked in our quest to heal ourselves and to live healthier, more-conscious lives is our breathing. The quality of our breathing, of our exhalation and inhalation, reveals a great deal about our self-image, our basic stance regarding life. By observing, by sensing, our breathing in the midst of action we can greatly increase our knowledge and awareness of ourselves.