Muscle Building Information

Muscle Soreness After Exercise


Many individuals judge the quality of their exercise session from the amount of pain they experience afterwards. These individuals are convinced by the old adage "No Pain No Gain". Research on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) has demonstrated that here may in fact be some truth to this phrase.

Recall in a previous article presented on this website dealing with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, we discussed the high probability that muscular pain after exercise results from actual muscle damage. This damage is viewed by the immune system as would any other injury and as a result, an inflammatory response is initiated to start the healing process. Several substances and chemicals are released during an inflammatory response and are thought to enhance the sensation of pain by excessively stimulating the nerve endings in the damaged tissue. So since pain is associated with muscle damage, in some cases it may be a fair indicator of a "good workout" or running session. The repair and healing of damaged muscle allows for hypertrophy or enlargement of the muscle fiber by the addition of myofibrils, thus increasing the cross sectional area.

Excessive muscle pain that continues for more than several days or continuously however is not desirable, as this is often an indicator of athlete overtraining or over-reaching. It must be stressed that if pain is experienced, it should be a "good" pain that is, not originating in the joints and should resolve within a couple of days. As exercise becomes more regular and the exerciser more accustomed to it, it will be noticed however that it becomes increasingly harder to elicit the same painful muscle response. The reason for this is unclear at this time but it is suggested that an exercise session that causes DOMS has a protective effect on subsequent exercise - lasting several weeks. Again it is unclear the exact mechanisms behind this protective effect.

In conclusion then, a regular exerciser should not place a high value on the "No Pain No Gain" evaluation of their workout, as their muscles will be less susceptible to the effects of DOMS. Rather it is suggested to concentrate on other factors such as strict technique and exercise variety so as to avoid undue stress on the joints and overtraining of single muscle groups.

David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com

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Supplementary Article

Know Your Muscles - The Chest And Upper Back

12/04/08

by Rick Mitchell

Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than simply allowing you to talk shop with your training partners. The more familiar you are with the muscles you're working, the better you'll be able to judge what's needed to make improvements. In this article we'll get to know the muscles that make up the chest and upper back.

Although they are two distinct areas, the chest and the upper back will be considered together because achieving a muscular balance between them is crucial, particularly in relation to maintaining good posture. Creating an imbalance between the two is likely to result in injury.

The main muscles found in the chest and uper back are as follows:

1. Pectoralis major - these are the large chest muscles found to either side of the breastbone. Its main job is to bring the upper arm inwards across the body, a movement that is known as horizontal adduction.

2. Latissimus dorsi - this is the largest back muscle that runs from the lower back to the upper arm bone. It pulls the upper arm towards the body and acts as an internal rotator of the upper arm.

3. Trapezius - this muscle runs from the mid spine to the shoulder and then to the neck. Its main role is to faciltiate movement of the shoulder blades.

About the Author

Rick Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

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