Does soreness ALWAYS = water weight??

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
edited November 11 in Fitness and Exercise
Okay--so although I know quite a bit about fitness, this question has always stumped me.

Does soreness necessitate inflammation? Water weight? And resulting scale "weight gain?"

Put another way...Can you be sore and NOT retain water?? I'm not trying to avoid it or anything--just genuinely curious.

Replies

  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
    I have never experienced a relationship between how sore I am and how much water I retain.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Logic says soreness = inflammation = more fluid to the muscles.

    Does that necessarily translate to a higher number on the scale? No, as there are several other factors that play into scale weight.


    Curious to see what the experts have to say.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I found a potential answer. It appears that the actual feelig of soreness IS water retention

    http://personalpowertraining.net/Articles/what_causes_muscle_soreness.htm
  • swtpea9191
    swtpea9191 Posts: 12
    I was JUST wondering this myself? I always gave up on working out because I felt "fatter" when really it's just water retention. I hate it, but I know it will be worth it. A lot of people I ask say they don't retain from working out? I do!
  • missigus
    missigus Posts: 207 Member
    Makes sense to me. I always seem to weigh more when I am sore- frustrating cuz you expect to see the opposite from working out. When the soreness disappears- so do the numbers on the scale. Seems to happen every time. I just sort of expect it now, especially when I change things up.
  • armaretta
    armaretta Posts: 851 Member
    interesting! bump
  • tru2one
    tru2one Posts: 298 Member
    Timely topic for me. Was experiencing an extremely sore lower back w/ inflammation/muscle spasm last night after a harder than usual workout and a day of proper eating/water intake.

    This morning? Up two pounds. Wasn't frustrated...just puzzled as to why. The retention of water in conjunction w/ micro trauma to muscle makes perfect sense to me.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Another logic thought, that may or may not have anything to do with all this.

    I have no idea what blood weighs, but...
    - 1 gallon of water = ~8lbs
    - 1lb of water = roughly 1/8 of a gallon
    - 1/8 of a gallon = 16oz
    - 16oz = 2 cups

    So, if a = b = c... if you're up 1lb, that means you're retaining 2 cups (16oz) of water. That seems like an awful lot to me... 2 cups of water being retained simply due to sore muscles???
  • armaretta
    armaretta Posts: 851 Member
    Another logic thought, that may or may not have anything to do with all this.

    I have no idea what blood weighs, but water weighs roughly 8lbs per gallon. So 1lb of water weight would be about equal to 16oz (2 cups) of water.

    That seems like an awful lot to me... 2 cups of water being retained simply due to sore muscles???
    I think that would depend on how big the muscles are *FLEX*

    also, I'm sure it's more than just water. There's going to be nutrients, proteins, other fluids there for muscle repair
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Another logic thought, that may or may not have anything to do with all this.

    I have no idea what blood weighs, but water weighs roughly 8lbs per gallon. So 1lb of water weight would be about equal to 16oz (2 cups) of water.

    That seems like an awful lot to me... 2 cups of water being retained simply due to sore muscles???
    I think that would depend on how big the muscles are *FLEX*

    also, I'm sure it's more than just water. There's going to be nutrients, proteins, other fluids there for muscle repair

    lol

    40036918_384x288_generated.jpg


    Yes, I believe it's actually blood, not just water, but I have no idea what blood weighs. But even if it's marginally heavier than water, that's still a lot of fluid to retain.
  • candiceanderson84
    candiceanderson84 Posts: 43 Member
    Interesting topic...I just introduced a new workout into my routine this week and I've been extremely sore and I have been feeling really bloated (FAT) so this really does help put some stuff into prosepctive for me.
  • lindsaykey
    lindsaykey Posts: 9 Member
    I have sortof been wondering something along these lines too...I'm not new to working out, but I was always SUPER sore after a really hard workout, especially legs. I hardly ever drank enough water. The past three weeks or so I've been forcing myself to drink the water my body needs per day and haven't been sore in the slightest since, even though my workouts continue to get harder and harder!
  • armaretta
    armaretta Posts: 851 Member
    Yes, I believe it's actually blood, not just water, but I have no idea what blood weighs. But even if it's marginally heavier than water, that's still a lot of fluid to retain.
    You, obviously have never had a uterus :wink:
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Yes, I believe it's actually blood, not just water, but I have no idea what blood weighs. But even if it's marginally heavier than water, that's still a lot of fluid to retain.
    You, obviously have never had a uterus :wink:

    Thankfully no, lol.
  • VAMommyAgain
    VAMommyAgain Posts: 400 Member
    I found a potential answer. It appears that the actual feelig of soreness IS water retention

    http://personalpowertraining.net/Articles/what_causes_muscle_soreness.htm

    That's exactly what I always thought!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I found a potential answer. It appears that the actual feelig of soreness IS water retention

    http://personalpowertraining.net/Articles/what_causes_muscle_soreness.htm

    That's exactly what I always thought!

    :) glad to help people make sense of their scale woes!!
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
    Yes, I believe it's actually blood, not just water, but I have no idea what blood weighs. But even if it's marginally heavier than water, that's still a lot of fluid to retain.
    You, obviously have never had a uterus :wink:

    Exactly. Men can not fathom the mysteries of a woman with fluid retention. "A lot of fluid to retain." Pshh.
  • keiraev
    keiraev Posts: 695 Member
    I nearly always weigh 2lb more if I am sore- there must be a connection hey!
  • muddyventures
    muddyventures Posts: 360 Member
    Man, I've been sore for the last 15 years lol... okay that's just the first thing that ran through my mind. But really I've been very sore for the last three days and my scale was up (I was a little down because of it). It is interesting and certainly puts a new perspective on the 'numbers' game. I'm still sore today (been training for the Big Climb), so I'll have to check the scale when the soreness subsides.
  • Ceceamanda
    Ceceamanda Posts: 91 Member
    Thank you so much for this and the post. I was sick the end of last week into this week and when I started working out again mid week I've been nothing but sore. I guess I push myself hard/am really out of shape? Idk but anyways before I got sick and was sore from workouts the scale was barely moving, if at all, when I weighted myself during my sick time (Thurs-Mon) - the scale finally moved and I lost a pound - since I've been working out and sore (Tues-Last night)...it went up.

    I know I'm building muscle but this morning I started wondering if it is tied to the soreness/water retention/muscle repair part. So thank you again! This is why I love MFP lol

    How frequently do others find themselves with after workout soreness? I'm curious if I'm pushing myself a bit hard. I have my rest days over the weekend typically.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I'm rarely sore--it usually only happens after a new workout or plyometrics (Always a killer).
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