What Are the Causes of Muscle Ache?
The body has many ways of communicating when certain things, like muscles, have been over-used or are under repair. Muscle soreness is one way the body lets us know what it is working on.
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Misconception on Lactic Acid
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Lactic acid is a byproduct of muscle metabolism. The buildup of lactic acid in muscles after strenuous exercise is commonly blamed for soreness, but it is not the only factor. Lactic acid is flushed out of the muscles shortly after exercise. The actual repair of the muscle is what causes the majority of the soreness.
Damage During Exercise
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As you exercise, your muscles fibers are torn on a microscopic level. Weight training with heavy weights and multiple sets is most likely to tear muscle fibers. Cardiovascular exercises like running or biking are less likely to cause damage unless you are navigating rough, steep terrain that engages muscles more thoroughly.
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Soreness During Repair
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Soreness can last as long as five days. Your muscles swell with white blood cells, anti-inflamatories, and other nutrients that repair the damage caused by a tough workout. The result is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS. Until these nutrients have done their job, muscle soreness will persist.
Need for Anti-inflamatories
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Anti-inflamatories such as ibuprofen, when taken four hours before a strenuous workout or every 8 hours for the 48 hours following a workout, can reduce perceived muscle soreness. Studies have not measured the degree of swelling to determine if the actual healing process for the muscle was sped up.
Role of Stretching
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A Cochrane study done in 2007 examined the effects of stretching on muscle soreness. In 10 small studies, it concluded that a minimal reduction (0.5-1 percent) in muscle soreness was attributable to stretching. Despite having a minimal effect on muscle soreness, stretching before and after strenuous activity does prevent over-use injuries like torn muscles or tendons.
Massage as a Treatment
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The use of massage after a workout can reduce muscle soreness. A study done in 2005 showed that massage reduced the onset and severity and duration of DOMS by 30 percent without affecting muscle function. Massage drains the fluids in muscles that cause the swelling and DOMS.
Exercise as Prevention
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For some, continued exercise can alleviate muscle soreness. When muscles are warmed up with 10 to 15 minutes of light cardio, the fluids that create swelling may be flushed out. This will vary by individual. If you start to exercise and find the soreness persists, take a day off or work on a different muscle group. Your muscles need time to heal in order to grow.
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