Why on the second day after exercise muscles hurt more than the first
Sport And Fitness / / December 19, 2019
Yesterday was a tough workout, and now you have a headache the whole body. Do you think that on the second day the pain will subside, but instead muscles will ache even more.
This is a common phenomenon is known as delayed or retarded muscle pain. It occurs after a really hard workout, when the load exceeds the usual more than 10%, and in the exercise focuses on eccentric phase (part of the movement when the muscles are stretched under a load, such as: lowering the bar into a rod or bench press to the floor to postural deadlift).
Such training provokes extensive microdamages muscle fibers and the development of the inflammatory process.
What happens in the body after a workout
On the first day in response to muscle fibers microdamages body releases cytokines - hormone-like proteins that regulate the immune response and inflammatory response.
By the torn muscle fibers are sent white blood cells that clean the damaged tissue and accelerate the regeneration. Also on the site of inflammation, a large amount of prostaglandin - active substances that dilates blood vessels, create a feeling of heat in the damaged area and enhance the sensitivity of receptors pain.
However, inflammation occurs gradually and reaches its peak only 24-48 hours after exercise. At this time, the regeneration process is in full swing, and the pain intensified.
Lactic acid at anything
It used to be that post-workout pain blame lactic acid. Later, however, it proved that this view is mistaken.
Lactic acid affects the muscles during exercise: it was she who makes you feel a burning sensation at the end of a complex approach. However, once you stop efforts, the blood begins to flush out lactic acid from the muscles.
scientists have provenBlood Lactate Measurements and Analysis during Exercise: A Guide for CliniciansThat the level of lactic acid in the blood reaches a peak after 3-8 minutes after maximum force and decreases to pre-training values after 60 minutes. And because the lactic acid out of muscles so fast, it can not affect the pain in 1-2 days after your workout.
How to ease the pain after exercise
A study in 2003 showedDelayed onset muscle soreness: treatment strategies and performance factorsThat the most effective for the relief of delayed muscle soreness:
- Admission of NSAIDs.
- Massage (efficiency depends on the technique).
- Moderate exercise.
Recently recognized as the most effective means. Make a good workout and repeat the exercise with 50% of the operating weight. If you are not going to the gym, you can just ride a bike or stroll: physical activity, warm up the muscles and reduce pain.
The same study showed that ultrasound, homeopathy and stretching do not give any effect to combat post-workout muscle pain.
If you want to remove the feeling of muscle stiffness, instead of stretching to try myofascial relaxation massage rollers. Such self-massage helps warm up the muscles and at least temporarily reduce the pain.