Why Am I Sore ?- An In Depth Look At The Anatomy Of A Workout

     Have you ever wondered what really happens to yor muscle when you workout?  Why is that your muscles get sore?  What creates the soreness, and what is that “burn” that happens while you lift weights?  Check out the reasons why with this in-depth look at your muscles during a workout. 

      Most people have experienced some sort of muscle soreness, whether they are in the gym working out or just lifting things around their house.  The severity of the soreness is dependent on how different the exercise is to your body.  In the gym setting, soreness can be a VERY GOOD THING.  A change in your daily routine can bring upon soreness.  This soreness is good because it means your body is changing (by doing something different).  Trainers gauge the severity of their clients soreness as a reference to how hard the workout is.  The level soreness can keep a client from hitting a plateau.  The old saying “no pain, no gain,” really does make sense in this case. 

     SO why is it that muscles get sore????

     Within 24 to 48 hours the muscle experience DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). 

            “DOMS is caused by tiny microscopic tears that occur in the muscle as a result of high intensity exercise (such as weight training, intense cycling, etc). After the workout, the muscle begins to rebuild itself (provided it is allowed enough time and nutrients to recover). This is the rebuilding process which creates new muscle that is bigger and stronger than before. In other words, your muscles are growing. Your muscles grow when you are at rest – not when you’re at the gym (credit)”

     Remember that DOMS is not a bad thing.. on the contrary, it’s GREAT!  Changing up your exercises frequently means you will forever be changing.  When  you are trying to lose body fat (tone up), or lose weight, muscle is your best friend.  Increasing your muscle mass ensures that you will be burning more calories.  As you age, muscle mass drops naturally due to hormone changes ….. you need to avoid this drop in muscle mass so you can always look young and lean. 

    WHAT Causes That Burning Sensation (when you lift weights or workout)?

       When you workout, you body burns calories through a process known as “krebs cycle.”  This cycle is responsible for burning calories inside the cells of your body.  In simple terms, this cycle releases something called “lactic acid.”  Therefore this release of acid inside the cells of your muscle causes the “burn” that you feel while working out.  “The acid is what makes your muscles hurt. Lactic acid builds up in the muscle tissue and causes the fatigue and soreness you feel in your exercising muscles (credit)”

     If you are new to the lifting world you can expect to be pretty sore after your workouts for a couple of week.  After your body starts to adapt you will become less and less sore.  Don’t worry it’s all part of the process.  If you aren’t sore after a workout, then chances are you didn’t work hard enough or you didn’t work smart enough.  By working smart, I mean challenging your body in different ways to induce change. 

Here’s An Inside Look At One Muscle Fiber

   Although this fiber looks big… it’s actually no bigger then a human hair!!!  Now you know why some men have such a hard time gaining muscle! 

     Now that you know how muscle really works, maybe you will be even more motivated to get that “burn” at the gym.  Don’t be afraid to work hard and challenge yourself.  Muscle soreness is your friend, not your enemy. 

Happy Lifting!!!

Adria Ali