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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
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