Everything you need to know about muscle soreness. Hosts Amy Hudson and Dr. James Fisher talk about why soreness is NOT indicative of the quality of a workout, what causes – and what doesn’t cause – it, the difference between muscle soreness and joint pain, and what you can do to reduce that soreness. If you’re someone who exercises on a regular basis, you can’t miss this one!

• Today’s episode, which is a part of a series that looks at indicators of the quality of exercising, focuses on soreness.
• Dr. James Fisher kicks things off by explaining why soreness – or actually delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS in short) – occurs.
• How a workout was and how novel it was are factors that contribute to DOMS.
• Dr. Fisher and Amy Hudson debunk the myths regarding the role that a high degree of lactic acid plays when it comes to exercising and muscle soreness, as well as the idea of torn muscle fibers.
• Calcium plays a key role in muscular contraction: it initiates the process and interaction between actin and myosin muscle fibers.
• Dr. Fisher touches upon the reason why some people may use compression garments that compress muscles, and why muscle inflammation is actually a good thing.
• You know that feeling in the muscle right after a set or a workout? “The pump”, as it’s often referred to, is a product of an influx of blood to the muscle and a product of muscular contraction and energy production.
• Dr. Fisher and Amy discuss muscle pain – and why the pain itself isn’t actually in the muscle but in the connective tissues and fascia surrounding it.
• Feeling sore after a workout? Going back and doing light exercise can help you alleviate it.
• Dr. Fisher and Amy talk about the so-called repeated bout effect and why it’s a strong reason for you not skipping too many workouts…
• Remember: if you feel sore after a workout, that’s a natural process of your body’s remodeling and rebuilding. Not feeling sore? That doesn’t mean that you didn’t have a good workout!
• As Dr. Fisher puts it: “People will feel sore when exercise is a novel stimulus, but the soreness will alleviate over time as a part of the repeated bout effect.”
• Keep in mind the muscle soreness you feel may actually be joint soreness.
• Dr. Fisher and Amy share some recommendations for working out a muscle group when you feel some muscle soreness.
• A healthy diet (with an adequate protein intake to support the repair process) and sleep are key assets in alleviating muscle soreness.
• Some people overlook the importance of sleep, which is a big marker for our body’s ability to rest, recover, and rebuild.​​
• When feeling muscle soreness, getting on a stationary bike or going for a swim, instead of going for a run, can help with the recovery process.
• Making progressive overload a key "philosophy" of your workout sessions will help you decrease muscle soreness.
• A final, important reminder from Amy and Dr. Fisher: “Soreness is not indicative of the quality of our workout. It’s not a badge of honor.”

 

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