No Pain, No Gain?

38 STRONGFITNESSMAG.COM.AU Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a side effect of pushing through a tough workout, but does it mean you’re any closer to your fitness goals? We asked experts to weigh in on the subject of DOMS – from why we get it, to how we treat it, and whether our pursuit of pain is really worth the agony.

THERE IS THIS COMMON BELIEF AMONG EXERCISERS THAT MUSCLE SORENESS AND THE QUALITY OF A WORKOUT IS A LINEAR RELATIONSHIP.

We tend to associate the familiar sensation of aches and pains in the days after a gruelling sweat sesh with bigger muscles and a stronger bod.

Of course, we’re talking about delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS: the pain that kicks in 24 to 48 hours after exercise, where muscles feel tender due to microscopic damage occurring in the muscle fibres. It happens when

you force those muscles to work harder than usual, or you recruit different muscle groups not often targeted in your regular routine.

This induced microtrauma causes inflammation, which then triggers our immune cells to go in and repair the damage. That recovery period is when muscles rebuild and become stronger, denser and more resilient.

The DOMS debate But while this feeling can be coveted, even addictive, there is some debate among industry experts over whether this quest for pain is always the best path to performance and optimal fitness.

“It’s a contentious topic,” says Dr Shayne Fryia, an Exercise Physiologist and Chiropractor at Primal Function Health and Rehab in Canada. “Mostly because there’s a lot of debate around its causes, treatment and ways to reduce it, plus, whether or not it actually improves muscle endurance overall.”

So, while it’s not always possible to predict whether you’ll experience DOMS after a session, and if you do, whether that means anything in terms of physical change, Dr Fryia contends that there are some research-proven factors that can contribute to its severity that don’t necessarily include the intensity of your workout. What’s more, it’s hard to determine which recovery methods help reduce the discomfort so you can get back in the gym for your next workout.

Can you speed your rate of recovery? For Dr Fryia, the recovery process comes down to genetic efficiencies, which vary person to person. “Regardless if you have predominantly fast-twitch or slow-twitch muscles, it all depends on how efficiently your body can get rid of waste produced by exercise (called lactic acid), and how good you are at flushing it out,” he says. “It’s not necessarily a symbol of more perceived effort because each body can respond to it

Consuming protein and carbs within this much time post-workout can stimulate muscle growth and repair. 2 HRS

very differently.” In other words, some bodies are simply better at recovering than others. “There is no one proven formula to prevent DOMS,” he says. “But proper sleep and hydration are critical before engaging in any type of exercise or athletic event. Muscles are made up of a high percentage of water, so even mild dehydration can make your DOMS worse.” Nutrition is another consideration. For instance, following an extremely lowcarb diet could lead to greater DOMS; carbohydrates are the primary fuel for moderate- to high-intensity exercise, as they are broken down into glucose for our body to draw upon for energy or store in our muscles for later use. Ditch the carbs completely, and you’ll likely struggle both in- and postworkout.

The same goes for essential amino acids – think those found in fish, poultry, lentils, eggs, and legumes. The building blocks of protein, they’re required for the growth and repair of body tissues, including muscle. If you don’t eat a lot of protein, or you regularly train intensely, “supplementing post-workout has also been shown to help enhance muscle protein recovery, which will help to

“People push themselves to be sore and they’re constantly chasing that soreness beyond a reasonable amount.”

speed repair,” says Dr Fryia. How much protein you need to consume depends on your intake throughout the day, your muscle mass and gender. Many experts suggest aiming for 25g to 30g of protein and 40g to 100g of carbohydrate in your post-workout meal, depending on the length and intensity of your session.

Beware the pain pursuit Dr Phil Warner, a sportsfocused Chiropractor, has noted a trend in the number of clients who have come into his clinics with injuries, based on the fact their mindsets are pushing themselves beyond the point of overuse. “People are striving for that pain,” he says. “They have to push themselves to be sore, and they’re constantly chasing that soreness beyond a reasonable amount. For a lot of people, if they don’t ‘feel’ like they did a workout, or don’t feel sore the next day, then they didn’t do enough. It’s a ridiculous thought process.”

Dr Warner says there is no significant evidence indicating that the more pain you’re in, the bigger the benefit or the better your results. There are any number of exercisers or athletes that will not experience DOMS, and that’s okay. He calls it the “repeated bout effect”: you become accustomed to repeated efforts of the same exercise and your body adapts.

On that point, Dr Fryia adds that extreme muscle soreness can be counterproductive to your fitness goals. It significantly decreases the body’s capacity for force, meaning you can’t work out as hard or effectively as you would if you were pain-free. Plus, constant muscle pain could cause motivation to take a significant hit, too. “If you’re crippled by muscle soreness, will you want to stick with your workouts? Probably not,” he says. “And how is that beneficial for your long-term health? It’s not.”

NICE RECOVERY! There are a growing number of techniques and products for reducing the severity and duration of DOMS, but their effectiveness isn’t guaranteed. “There’s as much supported scientific evidence to say these methods work, as there is evidence to say they don’t,” says Dr Fryia. “But my advice to anyone would be to say: if you feel one of these methods works for you, then stick with it.” Cold therapy Not for the faint of heart, some athletes swear by the circulation-boosting and inflammation-dampening benefits of immersing in an ice bath for 15 to 20 minutes postworkout. That said, a 2016 study out of the University of the Sunshine Coast concluded that its effectiveness depends on factors such as body fat, muscle mass and gender. Women tend to be more sensitive to cold during particular times in their cycle and someone with higher body fat and muscle mass percentages will probably need to be dunked longer to reap the benefits. Compression gear A 2013 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that when compression garments are worn after heavy exercise, they appear to reduce muscle soreness and promote faster muscle recovery. They work by constricting your muscles to decrease the swelling and inflammatory response when we work certain muscle groups hard. Foam roller Foam rolling is an effective therapeutic modality because it’s all about myofascial release, which alleviates the tension in the muscle’s connective tissue. Active recovery Light activity, such as gentle yoga, walking, or biking, helps to increase circulation and blood flow (which carries oxygen to muscle tissues) and reduces stiffness. S