Summer is just right around the corner and I'm getting my beach bod ready! I have been doing a lot of cardio work and just yesterday, I began doing strength training. Unfortunately, for some reason my whole body just feels so sore and painful today. I didn't expect this pain because I have already been exercising prior to the new workout Is this pain normal or should I be concerned and see a doctor? Help!
From,
ReadyForLABORacay2k14
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Dear ReadyForLABORacay2k14,
Thanks for writing to us! We too can't wait for summer to come and hit the beach! It's good to hear that you've been including exercise in your lifestyle. It's good to be physically fit! (And you'll look better too!).
First of all, the body pain and soreness you are feeling right now is a phenomenon called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. There are up to six identified hypotheses that might explain the cause of DOMS which are lactic acid, muscle spasm, connective tissue damage, muscle damage, inflammation, and enzyme efflux (Cheung, Hume,& Maxwell, 2003). According to the American College of Sports Medicine, DOMS is usually triggered by the lengthening the muscles beyond their usual threshold while applying force. This usually happens when you engage in new activities that require eccentric muscle actions such as bicep curls which are present in strength training.
Since these are new activities that the body is not used to, DOMS is a normal adaptation response by your body (Quinn, 2014). The pain and soreness experienced during DOMS is similar to that of inflammatory pain. This is pain induced by damage and lesions in tissues and cells (Goldstein, 2010) where in this case, muscle tissues and cells. Inflammation usually reduces the threshold of response of nociceptors, the receptors present in our skin (Hudspith, Siddall,& Munglani, n.d.). In the Gate Control Model, nociceptors are responsible for sending signals to the pain matrix in the brain through three possible pathways through the spinal cord (Goldstein). This reduction of response of nociceptors creates a delayed perception of pain, hence the name Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.
The phenomenon of DOMS is a normal experience that even professional athletes experience them when trying new routines. You don't have to be too concerned about it since the pain and soreness will decrease in the coming days. For the mean time, it is best to first rest since your muscles are still recovering from that workout! Once the pain has subsided, you may return to your new workout, doing it everyday until your muscles adapt and you will no longer feel soreness.It is also important to make sure that you warm up before every exercise and cool down after.
I hope this was able to help you! We wish you luck on your new workout routine and hope the soreness alleviates in the coming days! Have a great summer!
Senserely Yours,
Dea
References
American College of Sports Medicine (n.d.). Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Retrieved from http://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/delayed-onset-muscle-soreness-(doms).pdf.
Cheung, K., Hume, P.A., & Maxwell, L. (2003). Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Treatment Strategies and Factors. Sports Med, 33(2), 145-164. Retreived from http://www.coachingireland.com/files/cheung.pdf.
Goldstein, E.B. (2010). Sensation and Perception. California, USA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Hudspith, M.J., Siddall, P.J., & Munglani, R. (n.d.). Physiology of Pain. Retrieved from http://www.philippelefevre.com/downloads/basic_sciences_articles/pain-and-analgesia/nociception.pdf.
Quinn, E. (2014). Muscle Pain and Soreness After Exercise. Retrieved from http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/doms.htm.
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