There are a number of people or rather most of them have the problem of muscle soreness. Muscle soreness is a result of overextending of our muscles in sports or activities that we are not much used to. This can happen when we are actively taking part in any exertion and result in a sprain, muscle pain or strain and feel immediate pain.

Doing vigorous exercising like lifting heavy weights or having a tough day of workout at the tracks or gym, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles. Lactic acid is a regular by-product of the muscle metabolism. However, this can cause an irritation to the muscle and also result in muscle soreness. Any muscle soreness associated with exercising is called as delayed onset muscle soreness. When affected by muscle soreness it becomes difficult to walk and also reduces the strength. You might feel uncomfortable for a couple of days.

Lactic acid cannot be blamed alone for muscle soreness, because lactic acid is removed from the muscle in a few hours of working out, so it cannot explain the muscle soreness that continues days after a workout also. The swelling in the muscle compartments is a result of influx of prostaglandins and white blood cells and other fluids or nutrients that reach the muscles for damaging the repair after a workout. This type of muscle damage is minor and a part of the process of body growth called as anabolism. The inflammation and swelling can build in a few days after the workout and the muscle soreness might become worse after a workout.

Scientists can usually tell how much damage has occurred by measuring the blood levels of the muscle enzyme called as CPK. When the muscle gets damaged CPK is released into the blood stream. Exercises that have the highest post exercise blood levels of CPK have the maximum chances of muscle soreness. If you continue to exercise even after sore muscles, you are likely to feel more soreness in the coming days.

It is usually thought that cooling down by exercising at a slow pace right after exercising will prevent muscle soreness. But, this only removes the lactic acid, which is also not a major cause of muscle soreness. Stretching will also not prevent the soreness because the post-exercise soreness is not the result of contracted muscle fibers.

So, it can be said that muscle soreness is caused as a result of microscopic trauma to the muscles, which results in leakage of calcium molecules from the muscles. Pain and soreness is felt because of localized edema on the nerve endings. Continuing light training of the same exercises and not overdoing the workout can decrease the chances of muscle soreness. You can also do swimming or light jogging before the actual exercise to help you reduce the chances of muscle soreness. It is also important to let the body rest properly after every session of exercising and take a day off in a week from exercise.

Jonathan Pitts

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