Muscle Soreness
Dustinsteven22
Posts: 280 Member
Lactic Acid
You decided to get in shape and change your life. You know a few people who have changed their lives around and now it’s your turn. You are faced with many questions. Join a gym or not to join a gym. Do I have to eat kale? Do I need to drink a protein shake after my work out? What should I wear to go running? Whatever the questions are, you are determined to reach your goal.
D-Day has finally come and you are ready to get started. You do some mild cardio and then you hit the weight machines. I feel like you are your taking it easy, so you began to bump up the weight. You leave the gym or finish your workout at home and you feel great! You go home and drink a protein shake that the GNC employee recommended. You are ready for Day 2.
You wake up and feel horrible. Your muscles are so sore and even tender to touch. You try to stretch, but that hurts more. You ultimately decide to take a rest day.
What happened? Why are you so sore?
We have all experienced this before and it sucks. The muscle soreness, tightness, and the aches. This post was created based on several people on my team and in my challenge group who are experiencing the above pain. I did some research and I would like to share it with you.
During strenuous exercise, we began to breathe faster as our bodies need more oxygen to keep running. As we take a breath, the oxygen enters our lungs and into our bloodstream. The oxygen is disturbed throughout our organs, muscles, and brain. Oxygen is essential to keep your body working. Have you ever felt dizzy during a workout? Changes are a lack of oxygen. I will try to explain what happens to the oxygen in layman’s terms.
Working muscles generate energy anaerobically. The energy comes from glucose, through a process called glycolysis. Glucose (sugars stored in our liver) is broken down into a substance called pyruvate. When our bodies have plenty of oxygen, the pyruvate is carried to our muscles and is broken down even further. This is how we get energy for our muscle movements and contractions.
When we are working out, lift weights, P90X, running, etc., and our oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate. Lactate helps to breakdown pyruvate (glucose) into energy when there is limited oxygen. Lactate is plan B. This process will allow muscles cells to continue to work at high rates for several minutes. As a result, lactate can collect in muscle cells in high levels. This produces acidity in the muscle cells. The acidity disrupts other metabolites in the muscles and hinders the breakdown of glucose to energy in working muscles. The question is, “Why do our bodies do this if it hinders the glucose breakdown?” The answer: it slows down the key systems needed to maintain muscle contractions, preventing any long term damage to muscle cells.
Once the workout is over and you are breathing normally again, your body reverts back to oxygen carrying the pyruvate to the muscles. This begins the recovery cycle for the muscle.
Great info, but what does this have to do with anything?
The popular belief is that you have lactic acid (lactate) in your muscles and that is why you are in pain. The truth is the production process of lactate and other metabolites during strenuous exercise that results in the burning feeling and soreness in active muscles. Lactate leaves your body approximately 1 hour after your workout. It is the muscle cell damage that causes the soreness days later. This pain also tells us to “slow our roll” because you need to recover.
This soreness can peak anywhere from 24-72 hours after a workout. Research points to actual muscle cell damage. As a natural response, your body treats your muscles with an inflammatory-repair response. This causes muscles to swell and be sore.
Going for the Advil?
How do you treat this swelling and soreness? Research shows that anti-inflammatory drugs may slow the body’s ability to repair muscle damage.
How to treat muscle soreness and swelling!
1. Stay hydrated. Drinking enough water throughout the day is essential. Make sure to take in water during your workout. If your workout lasts longer than 1 hour, consider adding Gatorade or Cytomax. This will provide your body extra carbs. The carbs will be converted into glucose.
2. Breathe deeply. Make sure to breathe during your workout and do not hold your breath.
3. Work out often. The more often you workout the better your body responds to lactic acid.
4. Stretch. You should stretch before and after each workout. Do not skip stretching!!! Stretching helps your body release lactic acid.
5. Magnesium. The mineral magnesium is required for proper energy production. Just like mom said, “Eat your vegetables.” Spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens, and green beans are great sources of magnesium.
6. B vitamins. B vitamins help transport glucose throughout the body.
7. Ice bath. Taking an ice bath helps with muscle soreness and swelling. Don’t knock it, till you try it.
8. Foam roller. The use of a foam roller will help smooth out muscle tightness and relieve muscle soreness.
I hope this was helpful and you have a better understanding of how our body works. Feel free to add to this post.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Dustin
You decided to get in shape and change your life. You know a few people who have changed their lives around and now it’s your turn. You are faced with many questions. Join a gym or not to join a gym. Do I have to eat kale? Do I need to drink a protein shake after my work out? What should I wear to go running? Whatever the questions are, you are determined to reach your goal.
D-Day has finally come and you are ready to get started. You do some mild cardio and then you hit the weight machines. I feel like you are your taking it easy, so you began to bump up the weight. You leave the gym or finish your workout at home and you feel great! You go home and drink a protein shake that the GNC employee recommended. You are ready for Day 2.
You wake up and feel horrible. Your muscles are so sore and even tender to touch. You try to stretch, but that hurts more. You ultimately decide to take a rest day.
What happened? Why are you so sore?
We have all experienced this before and it sucks. The muscle soreness, tightness, and the aches. This post was created based on several people on my team and in my challenge group who are experiencing the above pain. I did some research and I would like to share it with you.
During strenuous exercise, we began to breathe faster as our bodies need more oxygen to keep running. As we take a breath, the oxygen enters our lungs and into our bloodstream. The oxygen is disturbed throughout our organs, muscles, and brain. Oxygen is essential to keep your body working. Have you ever felt dizzy during a workout? Changes are a lack of oxygen. I will try to explain what happens to the oxygen in layman’s terms.
Working muscles generate energy anaerobically. The energy comes from glucose, through a process called glycolysis. Glucose (sugars stored in our liver) is broken down into a substance called pyruvate. When our bodies have plenty of oxygen, the pyruvate is carried to our muscles and is broken down even further. This is how we get energy for our muscle movements and contractions.
When we are working out, lift weights, P90X, running, etc., and our oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate. Lactate helps to breakdown pyruvate (glucose) into energy when there is limited oxygen. Lactate is plan B. This process will allow muscles cells to continue to work at high rates for several minutes. As a result, lactate can collect in muscle cells in high levels. This produces acidity in the muscle cells. The acidity disrupts other metabolites in the muscles and hinders the breakdown of glucose to energy in working muscles. The question is, “Why do our bodies do this if it hinders the glucose breakdown?” The answer: it slows down the key systems needed to maintain muscle contractions, preventing any long term damage to muscle cells.
Once the workout is over and you are breathing normally again, your body reverts back to oxygen carrying the pyruvate to the muscles. This begins the recovery cycle for the muscle.
Great info, but what does this have to do with anything?
The popular belief is that you have lactic acid (lactate) in your muscles and that is why you are in pain. The truth is the production process of lactate and other metabolites during strenuous exercise that results in the burning feeling and soreness in active muscles. Lactate leaves your body approximately 1 hour after your workout. It is the muscle cell damage that causes the soreness days later. This pain also tells us to “slow our roll” because you need to recover.
This soreness can peak anywhere from 24-72 hours after a workout. Research points to actual muscle cell damage. As a natural response, your body treats your muscles with an inflammatory-repair response. This causes muscles to swell and be sore.
Going for the Advil?
How do you treat this swelling and soreness? Research shows that anti-inflammatory drugs may slow the body’s ability to repair muscle damage.
How to treat muscle soreness and swelling!
1. Stay hydrated. Drinking enough water throughout the day is essential. Make sure to take in water during your workout. If your workout lasts longer than 1 hour, consider adding Gatorade or Cytomax. This will provide your body extra carbs. The carbs will be converted into glucose.
2. Breathe deeply. Make sure to breathe during your workout and do not hold your breath.
3. Work out often. The more often you workout the better your body responds to lactic acid.
4. Stretch. You should stretch before and after each workout. Do not skip stretching!!! Stretching helps your body release lactic acid.
5. Magnesium. The mineral magnesium is required for proper energy production. Just like mom said, “Eat your vegetables.” Spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens, and green beans are great sources of magnesium.
6. B vitamins. B vitamins help transport glucose throughout the body.
7. Ice bath. Taking an ice bath helps with muscle soreness and swelling. Don’t knock it, till you try it.
8. Foam roller. The use of a foam roller will help smooth out muscle tightness and relieve muscle soreness.
I hope this was helpful and you have a better understanding of how our body works. Feel free to add to this post.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Dustin
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Replies
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I had a scare when the lactic acid build up this spring it was bad enough we had to monitor kidney function because urine was so dark but I was not dehydrated. Be careful and listen to your body is best advice moving after if sore is good to break it up and get it out of your system but if it is beyond sore and is in pain range getting medical advice can help with meds that speed up the break up. I made the mistake of letting a trainer push me beyond where I felt comfortable and was failing on exercises and continued with him until I felt bad enough I was about to pass out. It was too far and it took 3 weeks before I had any energy again. Never again0
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Exactly!! Listen to your body and do what you need to do to keep yourself healthy.0
