After intense exercise or unusual movement, many people experience varying degrees of muscle soreness. Scientists believe muscle soreness may stem from one or more of the following physiological events.
- Damage in muscle fiber.
- Poor blood circulation in muscles caused by muscle spasms leads to cumulative waste and soreness.
- Damage to connective tissue of muscles caused by overexertion.
Generally, there are two different types of sore muscles:
Soreness that starts immediately after exercise, and soreness that is delayed until one to two days later.
Soreness right after exercise
This is caused by damage to muscle fascicle (= muscle bundle) and will quickly recover. It is okay to continue with less strenuous forms of exercise in this case. |
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Soreness one to two days after exercise
Excessive muscle tension may have occurred during exercising, resulting in swelling and pain. Recovering from these symptoms will take longer. |
Treatment ideas to reduce muscle soreness can include stretching, icing soon after exercise and warming treatment overnight. In addition, application of topical analgesic patches, creams or sprays can help relieve minor pain.
Taking time to warm up and cool down before and after exercise can be effective in preventing muscle soreness.
For some, muscle pain has a delayed onset, perhaps 1 to 2 days. And as individuals get older it can take more time to recover. This is due in part to the less muscle mass that is a natural by-product of advanced age. With less muscle mass, the same exertion causes more use and therefore more damage to muscle tissue. Although it is difficult to increase muscle strength after a certain age, it is possible to minimize the decline of muscle strength through conditioning and strength training. It is a good idea to work with professional trainers or consult with your doctor before beginning strenuous training programs.
