By: WILLIAM IMBO
The infamous
saying, “no pain, no gain” has been thrown around for years, convincing people
that to see physical and athletic progress, they need to feel the pain,
otherwise, they weren’t working hard enough or lifting heavy enough. Or so the
theory goes. But is that truly the case? Must you always feel sore and as stiff
as a board it to have been a good workout?
Delayed
Onset Muscle Soreness and Workout Effectiveness
That
post-workout soreness that can last for days is called delayed onset muscle
soreness—or DOMS for short. While muscle pain may be the most obvious indicator
that you’re suffering from
DOMS, other
common symptoms can include:
– Swelling
of the affected limbs
– Stiffness
of the joint accompanied by temporary reduction in a joint’s range of motion
– Tenderness
to the touch
– Temporary
reduction in strength of the affected muscles (lasting days)
– In rare
and severe cases, muscle breakdown to the extent that the kidneys may be placed
at risk. This is more commonly known as rhabdomyolsis, or simply ‘Rhabdo’,
which warrants its own article.
– Elevated
creatine kinase (CK) enzyme in the blood, signaling muscle tissue damage.
The jury is
still out as to what the exact mechanisms of DOMS are, with a 2003 paper in
Sports Medicine proposing that there are up to six hypothesized
theories. However, there is the widely held belief that DOMS “appears to
be a product of inflammation caused by microscopic tears in the connective
tissue elements that sensitize nociceptors and thereby heighten the sensations
of pain,” as is stated in a 2013 study from the Strength &
Conditioning Journal. Simply put, DOMS appears to occur due to
connective tissue microtrauma. The main culprit for said trauma is believed to
be due to eccentric muscle contraction—the lengthening or stretching
phase—which is known to damage both the individual muscle fibers and connective
tissues that surround the muscle fibers. After this microscopic muscle injury,
immune cells go to the site of injury to repair the damage—which results in the
inflammation and pain, but which also means that muscle fibers will become
stronger through the healing process, resulting in a stronger muscle in
general. This process can result from any eccentric exercise—not just
weightlifting. That includes things like running and yoga, as well as exercises
that you simply aren’t used to.
But does
this mean that one must always experience DOMS to become stronger and develop
as an athlete?
The short
answer is no. The long answer is a little more complex. Yes, DOMS is a sign
that there is some level of muscular hypertrophy going on in the body, and it’s
usually present when you present your body with a new challenge (i.e. heavier
loads, new movements, coming back after a long break, etc.). But with time,
your body becomes more adept at adjusting to new stimuli, so the effects of
DOMS may not be as pronounced. Furthermore, there is great variability in how
individual athletes experience DOMS—some people may continually be sore after
each and every workout, while other athletes feel fine. Combined, this makes DOMS
an unreliable gauge of how effective a workout is. Muscle damage is a
contributing factor to muscle hypertrophy (an increase in muscle size through
an increase in the size of its component cells), but it’s not absolutely
essential. Hypertrophy can occur from mechanical tension and/or metabolic
stress, both of which can come about without muscle soreness. Therefore, though
DOMS can provide a general indication that some degree of muscle tissue damage
has taken place, it is not a definitive measure for it.
Other
ways to have a good workout without muscle soreness
You’ve got
to consider the way you measure a good workout doesn’t need to be tied to how
sore your muscles feel afterward. For example, a fast sprint-style workout will
tax your anaerobic system, and if you push yourself to the limit then you’ll
probably end up on the ground, gasping for air. But after 10 minutes have
passed, you’re able to gather yourself and get on with your day, and your
muscles won’t be screaming at you the next day. But does that mean you could
have gone faster? Of course not! You only need to think back to the image of
you convulsing on the ground to realize that.
And what
about those workouts where you finally achieve a new movement for the first
time, or feel ecstatic about your technique? Does that not constitute a good
workout? How about simply pushing through a brutal WOD to finish under the time
cap? In short, while DOMS can be an indication you are experiencing
muscular development after a workout, there are many other factors you should
consider when determining how a good workout really was.
Photo courtesy
of Rose Physical Therapy Group/CC by 2.0
ABOUT
WILLIAM IMBO
William Imbo is an Associate
Editor at BoxLife magazine, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and holds an MPS in Sports
Industry Management from Georgetown University. He is an avid CrossFitter and
loves film, music and travel, thanks to having grown up across Europe. A fan of
the New Orleans Saints and Newcastle United, Will's favorite CrossFit girl is
Helen-least favorite being Isabel. View all posts
by William Imbo →
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