Q&A: Post-Workout Soreness

Q: I just went through it a couple of days ago:  Post-workout soreness (How to avoid it or how to best recover
from it). For example, do protein shakes help you recover better?  Is there anything I could eat or drink to help alleviate the soreness?

I worked out my legs after about 3 weeks of time off and I was so sore 2 days later I thought I was going to cry.  Seriously.  I don't think I ever hurt that much.  I even got muscle cramps at night while sleeping.  While I was working out it didn't feel like I was overdoing it or anything.  All I did was was 3 sets of lunges and 3 sets of leg presses and I did stretch.

A: I felt it would be better to do this article as a Q&A so you better understand the direction of my response.  We're looking at a very common occurrence in exercise, and I will address the scenario, then directly answer the questions.

The first thing to look at is the time frame in which exercise was not performed:  3 weeks.  Many research studies have proven that lack of exercise over a 2-3 week span already starts to have a negative effect on a person's health.  Individual results may vary due to metabolism and genetic factors, however, a loss in strength, endurance, flexibility, etc are typically seen.

Despite the lack of exercises (limited to squats and lunges), 3 sets of between 10-15 reps, assuming 30-90 secs of rest, could easily result in 24-72-hour muscle soreness, or delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS).  This is a normal thing due to small muscle damage (which can be harmless), and typically a symptom of eccentric exercise, or the negative phase in an auxotonic lift (changing tensions caused by altered velocities and joint angles).  An experienced exerciser will more than likely not feel the difficulty while performing the exercise, however, in the 24-72-hours to follow, muscle soreness will occur.  DOMS can also occur as a warning sign to allow an exerciser to know that reduced activity can prevent injury.

The absolute best way to prevent severe DOMS is to stay consistent in an exercise program.  Taking time off, as I've already explained, can have negative effects, which include susceptibility to an increase in muscle soreness.  A proper warmup beginning with total body stretching and cardiovascular activity from 5-10 mins prior to resistance activity may help prevent soreness, as well as a cardiovascular cooldown and post-workout stretch.  However, studies have not shown that there is a great significance, if at all, to prevention of muscle soreness as opposed to prevention of injury by completing a proper warmup.  Being aware that time off from exercise is not a "pick up where you left off" situation, and adapting your program to start with a lower intensity will help prevent that soreness that makes you not want to sit down or lift your arms up.  Consuming a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, and fat will help by nourishing the muscles and aid in the recovery process, but there is no secret food to preventing soreness altogether.  Studies have shown that light muscle work such as low intensity cardio, stretching, and getting blood flow to the muscles will help alleviate symptoms.

All-in-all, there is no fix all for muscle soreness, but it can be prevented through consistency in your exercise program.

The Importance of Proper Form in Exercise

Plenty of people, whether beginners or "experienced" exercisers, display improper form when performing exercise.  Exercise is truly an art, and those who fail to seek professional guidance or education on correct use put themselves at a high risk for muscular imbalance, injury, and even death.  Everything from walking to high intensity strength training involves correct form in order to prevent any negative side effects.

The human gait, or way of locomotion with limbs, varies by gender, but also can be affected by muscular imbalances and injuries.  We have all seen common gait abnormalities which include pigeon toe, waddling, toe walking, etc.  Because walking is learned at an early age, certain muscles can become tight while others very flexible, which may result in an imbalance.  The imbalance will only reinforce the improper locomotive pattern and likely carry on into adulthood.  However, gait can be corrected through proper instruction, stretching methods, and strength training to reverse the imbalance.  A typical walking pattern exhibits a heel or midfoot strike, whereas a typical running pattern exhibits a midfoot or forefoot strike.  External or internal rotation of the foot is likely a result of an imbalance in the lower half, as well as pronation or supination of the feet.

If there are already discrepancies in the normal walking pattern, one may find certain resistance training exercises difficult, such as squats, lunges, or anything that involves the lower extremities.  An overhead squat assessment test, administered by a trainer, can help discover any imbalances that may exist throughout the body.  This test will allow the administrator to see what muscles are tight and what muscles are weak in both the upper and lower extremities.  Because the body works together as a synergistic unit, one cannot assume that the legs work independently from the upper body.  An overtightness of the chest or back muscles can greatly affect a squat assessment.

Most first time exercisers will not correctly perform the majority of the exercises they attempt without proper instruction.  The best advice is to seek a knowledgeable, skilled, and certified trainer to assist in your exercises program.  You can read my article on Choosing a Personal Trainer.