The real reason you ache after exercise, and why stretching exercises
won't help...
It's common for many people, especially when they're just starting
an exercise program, to feel sore for the next day or two after
exercise.
To prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS for short), we're
always told to spend a lot of time on stretching exercises immediately
after exercise.
But does it really help?
Not according to a team of Danish researchers. They found that
stretching before and after exercise has no effect on muscle soreness.
Stretching exercises
Publishing their findings in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine
and Science in Sports, the researchers persuaded seven healthy
(but untrained) women to take part in two experiments.
During the first experiment, the women exercised their
right quadriceps (the group of muscles in the front of your thigh)
to exhaustion. Ratings of muscle pain were taken for the next
seven days.
In experiment two, the women performed the same type of
exercise. This time, however, they spent 90 seconds stretching
before and after exercise. Again, muscle pain was assessed for
seven days.
Contrary to popular belief, results showed that the stretching
exercises had no effect on muscle soreness, which reached a peak
two days after exercise.
So, what actually causes the soreness?
A bout of exercise causes inflammation, which leads to an increase
in the production of immune cells (comprised mostly of macrophages
and neutrophils).
Levels of these immune cells reach a peak 24-48 hours after exercise.
These cells, in turn, produce bradykinins and prostaglandins, which
make the pain receptors in your body more sensitive.
The result?
Whenever you move, these pain receptors are stimulated. Because
they're far more sensitive to pain than normal, you end up feeling
sore.
This doesn't mean that you shouldn't perform any stretching exercises
after exercise. But if you're only doing it to ease muscle soreness,
there's little evidence to show it makes any real difference.
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Reference
Lund, H., Vestergaard-Poulsen, P., Kanstrup, I.L., & Sejrsen,
P. (1998). The effect of passive stretching on delayed onset muscle
soreness, and other detrimental effects following eccentric exercise.
Scandinavian
Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 8, 216-221
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