Muscle soreness

Topic 12

Muscle soreness is caused by minute injuries known as micro-trauma in the fibres of muscles. The affec- ted muscles become hard and stiff, sensitive to pressure, painful whenever you try and move them and no longer able to work at full strength. In most cases, it does not appear until the day after the exer- tion and the associated loss of strength can last for a week.

Why the pain?

The maximum build-up of tension in a muscle is during a dynamic, eccentric movement, i.e. when a muscle is stretched by major external forces in the opposite direction to its tension. This is a common occurrence for example after mountain walking – downhill not uphill. Our muscles can be sore after comparatively light exercise if we do not do that exercise regularly. In this case, the main cause is poor coordination. The muscle fibres are not deplo- yed in as optimal a way as in a well established mo- vement pattern. This produces very high peak loads in certain muscle fibres, which in turn can result in mechanical damage. Unlike when pulling or tearing a muscle, you don’t actually feel any pain during the exercise. The pain does not develop until several hours afterwards or not until the next day. This is because the pain receptors are located not

in the muscle fibre itself but in the surrounding connective tissue. The substances that trigger the pain first have to emerge from the muscle fibres and stimulate the pain receptors. In addition, it is proba- ble that the fibres themselves swell and this can also cause pain. However, both processes require time until the effects are noticed. It is also possible that

the pain is intensified by reflex tension or muscle contraction. The mechanical damage reduces the ability of a muscle to contract. However, the situa- tion returns to normal within 4 to 7 days and there is no lasting damage.

When do you get sore muscles?

After an eccentric (negative) load

After physical exertion when you resume training after a long break or first start training

After unaccustomed or new movements (loads), even if you do the sport regularly

After particularly intensive exertion, even if you have already mastered the sequences of move- ment, e.g. if you sharply increase the load intensi- ty during training.

What to do?

If muscles are sore, be careful about using the affected muscles. In any case, avoid putting a maximum load on the muscles for a short time. Depending upon your subjective perception of the pain, it may be possible to reduce the pain on movement tempo- rarily by careful stretching or by doing a light concentric exercise involving the muscle. Heat treatment may also reduce the pain, but a massage does not.

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