Why muscle SORE after Exercise?

  

People who work out rigorously with weights, muscle tears and rebuilds form part of the natural growth and conditioning process.  Unfortunately, active sporting people are not taking this problem seriously and thus subject to more significant injuries including muscle strains, sprains and even serious tears.


As for inactive people who have not been exercising for a long time and decide to go for a run to wake up the next morning with two heavy legs.  Why?


Characteristics


The soreness is perceived as a dull, aching pain in the affected muscle, often combined with tenderness and stiffness. The pain is felt only when the muscle is stretched, contracted or put under pressure, not when it is at rest.  Although there is variance among exercises and individuals, the soreness usually increases in intensity in the first 24 hours after exercise, peaks from 24 to 72 hours, then subsides and disappears after about five to seven days after exercise.


Cause


The soreness is caused by eccentric exercise, that is, exercise consisting of eccentric (lengthening) contractions. Isometric (static) exercise causes much less soreness, and concentric (shortening) exercise causes none.

When a muscle lengthens against a load – like in weightlifting the flexed arms attempt to catch the loaded weight and the muscle contraction is said to be eccentric. In other words, the muscle is actively contracting, attempting to shorten its length, but it is failing. These eccentric contractions have been shown to result in more muscle cell damage than is seen with typical concentric contractions, in which a muscle successfully shortens during contraction against a load.  Aerobic exercises can also involve many eccentric contractions, such as downhill running where body impact on the legs is intense, even without any noticeable burning sensations in the muscles during the event.

Mechanism


As our bodies perform strenuous exercise, we begin to breathe faster as we attempt to shuttle more oxygen to our working muscles. The body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning with oxygen.

Some circumstance like lifting heavy weights require energy production faster than our bodies can adequately deliver oxygen. In those cases, the working muscles generate energy anaerobically. This energy comes from glucose through a process called glycolysis, in which glucose is broken down or metabolized into a substance called pyruvate through a series of steps. When the body has plenty of oxygen, pyruvate is shuttled to an aerobic pathway to be further broken down for more energy. When oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown, and thus energy production to continue. The working muscle cells can continue this type of anaerobic energy production at high rates for one to three minutes, during which time lactate can accumulate to high levels. 


A side effect of high lactate levels is an increase in the acidity of the muscle cells, along with disruptions of other metabolites around them.  The body starts to complain about tiredness and needs to recuperate to prevent further or permanent damage.  Once the body is allowed to slow down, oxygen becomes available and lactate reverts back to pyruvate and clear off other metabolites along the way, allowing continued aerobic metabolism and energy for the body’s recovery from the strenuous event.


Prevention/Treatment

+  Delayed onset muscle soreness can be reduced or prevented by gradually increasing the intensity of a new exercise program, thereby taking advantage of the repeated-bout effect.

+  Soreness can theoretically be avoided by limiting exercise to concentric and isometric contractions, but this may also not be practical depending on the mode of exercise.  Eccentric exercises are advisable for stronger individuals or the weaker ones certified fit by medical practitioners to undertake on gradual basis.

+  Stretching or warming up the muscles does not prevent soreness.  Instead, overstretching can by itself cause soreness.

+  Taking a hot shower can relax the muscle for faster recovery.

+  By soaking three times each week in a warm tub scented with 10 drops of peppermint oil, your muscles will relax, whilst the peppermint oil soothe your nerves. The effect can be 25% more effectively than over-the-counter painkillers, and cut the frequency of future flare-ups in half.

+  Taking enough vitamins and other nutrients can aid in recovery from muscles injuries.

-  Co-enzyme Q10 may boost athletic performance and reduce muscle injury according to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition measuring elite practitioners of the Japanese martial art kendo.  Besides helping the body to utilise oxygen and generates energy, it also plays an important role in preserving levels of vitamin E and vitamin C.

-  Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can neutralise free radicals produced during strenuous exercise.  Thus, it may reduce muscle pain and expedite recovery following intense workouts.  For weightlifters, it helps to avoid injury because of its ability to produce collagen for a stronger connective tissue.

-   Vitamin E is another potent antioxidant that may neutralise free radicals leading to muscle damage.  It is much needed for rebuilding and repairing muscles between workouts.

-   Glutamine is a popular amino acid amongst weight trainers.  It is known to boost glutathione, an antioxidant that helps the body to recover from intense workouts and prevents muscle breakdown.  Hence, it is a great supplement for overall muscle recovery and health. 


-  Nitric acid - Increasing nitric oxide has become the new secret weapon for athletes and bodybuilders. Supplements with L-arginine and L-citrulline promote production of nitric acid that support the flow of blood and oxygen to the skeletal muscle as well as facilitate the removal of exercise-induced lactic acid build-up for faster recovery.



VIVA corner


Over-exercise can cause muscle fatigue due to eccentric contractions and excessive buildup of lactic acid. Taking good supplements can help to mitigate the negative effects.

+  VIVA Guard’s antioxidant enzyme formulation prevents free radical damage and aids in recovery of injuries (eg. pain and inflammation) and removes lactic acid expeditiously.

+  VIVA Oxypower, with its strong Coenzyme10 element lessens the risk of injury due to excessive exercise as the muscle cells are able to uptake more oxygen effectively.  The exclusive antioxidant formulation includes Vitamin A, C and E.

+  The free form amino acids in VIVA Ageguard provides the body the necessary nutrients to rebuild healthy tissues arising from muscle wear and tear during the exercise process.  Glutamine is available as one of its key ingredients. Its high arginine content helps to boost nitric acid level as enumerated above.