Week 158 :: How Can You Prevent Soreness?

[the_fake_webmaster]

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* Note: How can I win? 1. Answer all questions in the order that they are asked. 2. Go over reviews (located at the bottom of past TOTW articles) and see what was said about those that did not win. Good Luck!
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TOPIC: How can you prevent soreness?

For the week of: February 20th - February 26th
Tuesday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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Some pain is unavoidable in your quest to get a fit and healthy body, but hopefully not too much!

How can you prevent soreness?

How can you treat soreness that you already have?

Is there anything you can do to make it less likely that you will get as sore? Things you can do during your workout (like stretching or starting slow with your new program), or after (like taking protein, HMB, or glutamine)?

Should you use cardio or stretching the next day to get the blood flowing or will that just make it worse?

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Thanks.

Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

The best response will get $75 in credit to use in our online store! The other good responses will be used in an article on the main Bodybuilding.com site, with the poster's forum name listed by it. Become famous!

Thanks,
Will
Webmaster
Bodybuilding.com

[ItTakesTime]

Stretch...before...AND AFTER working any muscle. GET SLEEP!

[BIGG-22]

Keep hydrated before, during and after your workout, make sure to stretch before and start every workout with a good warmup.

[weezyfbaby]

Some pain is unavoidable in your quest to get a fit and healthy body, but hopefully not too much!

How can you prevent soreness?
-one thing is to work body parts up to only twice a week with substantial time in between(around 24-48 hrs.)
- drink plenty of fluids throughout workout(water, gatorade, Xtend etc.)
-Stretching decreases soreness and may help prevent injury. By flushing out the byproducts of hard training and getting fresh blood and nutrients into the muscle, you'll recover faster. Stretching also prevents shortening of the muscles, which can make you more prone to injury down the road (Matt Danielsson)
-sleep is also essential in keeping from being sore at LEAST 8 hours of sleep!
-if necessary ice muscles especially after hard workout
-Light exercise
If you are a bodybuilder trying to put on muscle then don?t be afraid to do a bit of walking, jogging or yoga on the muscles that are sore. The extra blood flow and the stretching will help with the healing process.(http://www.propeller.com/viewstory/2007/05/06/how-to-treat-sore-muscle-the-day-after-a-workout/?url=http%3A%2F%2Frealmuscleonline.com%2Fbodybuild ing%2Fhow-to-treat-sore-muscles-the-day-after-a-workout%2F&frame=true)
-Massage and spa
If you want to treat yourself a little bit head to the spa or the massage room at the gym. This is a great way to relieve some of the tightness in the body, especially the deeper muscles like the ones found in the upper leg and lower back.(http://www.propeller.com/viewstory/2007/05/06/how-to-treat-sore-muscle-the-day-after-a-workout/?url=http%3A%2F%2Frealmuscleonline.com%2Fbodybuild ing%2Fhow-to-treat-sore-muscles-the-day-after-a-workout%2F&frame=true)

How can you treat soreness that you already have?
-continue to strech out the muscle that is sore
-continue to hydrate and have enough sleep

Is there anything you can do to make it less likely that you will get as sore? Things you can do during your workout (like stretching or starting slow with your new program), or after (like taking protein, HMB, or glutamine)?
-according to many sites a whey shake POST workout can aid in prevention of soreness along with glutamine and important supplement for joints!
-Be sure to warm up before exercising and stretching.
- For people with chronic conditions or continual episodes of pain, heat can work better than ice (if you are not treating an acute injury). Try a heating pad, or a warm shower or bath.
- Taking an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, may also reduce muscle soreness.
- Avoid exercising or stretching to the point of pain.(http://www.ehow.com/how_3366_ease-sore-muscles.html)
-protein shake
Should you use cardio or stretching the next day to get the blood flowing or will that just make it worse?
yes cardio and/ or stretching is a GOOD idea, drinking lots of water, a light amount of cardio. Low intensity is suggested.
-10-15mins of light exercises followed by 10-15mins of stretching

[Beast2Be]

Nice topic! :)

[blakely17]

How can you prevent soreness?

The best way that I have found to avoid soreness is by drinking a meal replacement shake (I drink Muscle Milk) before you go to bed on nights after you lift. Try to get a drink that has whey and casein proteins, that way your body can rebuild all night long. Plenty of sleep is also a major factor. I can vouche for the shake before bed, because on nights that I don't drink a shake, the next day I tend to be more sore than usual. Also drink plenty of water throughout the day, this should help flush your system.

How can you treat soreness that you already have?

A very good way to treat soreness is hot/cold showers. Do this for about 15 minutes. Turn on the hot water for about 2 or 3 mins, then get the water as cold as you can stand and let it hit your body for 1 or 2 minutes. Repeat this process 4 or 5 times. The reason these showers work is because they get the blood flowing with the hot water, then when the cold water comes, the blood goes back to the center or your body, then hit the hot water again and the blood will flow back into your muscles, essentially ridding the latic acid that builds up (which causes muscle soreness) from your muscles.

Is there anything you can do to make it less likely that you will get as sore?

The best thing that you can do to make it less likely to be sore is maintain a diet that is suited towards your workout regiment. You have to be sure to give your body the proper energy it needs before the lift, and your body equally importantly needs the nutrition to be able to build itself back up. This usually means you should be taking in a fare amount of carbohydrates earlier in the day and a decent amount of protein all day long (at least 1 gram per pound of body weight (bw), but perferable 1.5 per bw).
I am sure there are some supplements out there that will aid in your soreness, but the question you have to ask yourself "is it legal, safe, and/or affordable?" Protein supplements are the only supplements I would ever recommend to the average lifter (maybe creatine too), but as far as supplements go, you can't beat what you can whip up in the kitchen.

Should you use cardio or stretching the next day to get the blood flowing or will that just make it worse?

If I am really sore, I will do about 10 to 15 minutes on a treadmill at a fast walk to jogging pace. This will get your blood flowing and aid in getting rid of the lactic acid buildup. The only stretching you should do before the light cardio should be just enough to get your body ready for the cardio. After the cardio session is done and your body is starting to wear off the soreness, then stretching should be applied. Stretching before the cardio only hurts more painwise and you really don't get as much blood flowing (which seems to be the key to reducing soreness).

Soreness may be unavoidable sometimes, but with proper diet, hydration, and blood flow, you may be able to avoid or at least minimize it.

[weezyfbaby]

noooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! i spent hour twenty!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cardioking]

How can you prevent soreness?

Preventing soreness has seemingly became a sport all in its own. To treat soreness that you already have it is important to take the right supplements and eat the right foods. Potassium rich foods such as bananas and gatorade can help treat and prevent soreness. Supplementing with Glutamine and protein will also help treat and prevent soreness. Recovery is a forgotten past time that is often neglected today. Sleep helps relaxation and with recovery. Warmth is also good for soreness which is why sauna's and hot tubs are in just about every professional sports teams' locker/training room. During a workout it is a good practice to warm up, stretch perform an exercise and stretch in between to keep the blood flowing. Stretching after a workout will help prevent future soreness as well.

We have already discussed supplementation, stretching, diet and some recovery methods for preventing soreness but lets talk about approaching a workout. If you haven't worked out in awhile or are trying something new it is best to not get into the first few workouts at full force. Get the feel of the routine and increase weights and intensity over time. A runner doesn't jump right into a marathon the first day. They continually increase mileage to the point they know they are prepared. If that same runner just went out one day and ran 26.2 miles they probably wouldn't and couldn't run again for a few days or longer. Same with weights, do not try "maxing out" the first day back... work into it so you do not get something worse than soreness.... an injury.


Stretching and cardio would be good the next day. Not just because of soreness but it would also be good for general health and flexibility

[WK21]

Week 158 :: How Can You Prevent Soreness?

TOPIC: How can you prevent soreness?

For the week of: February 20th - February 26th

How can you prevent soreness?

How can you treat soreness that you already have?
Is there anything you can do to make it less likely that you will get as sore? Things you can do during your workout (like stretching or starting slow with your new program), or after (like taking protein, HMB, or glutamine)?

Should you use cardio or stretching the next day to get the blood flowing or will that just make it worse?



Going through hours and hours of completly destroying your muscles in the gym every week of every month in a year...your muscles WILL be sore! So here are some things you can do to keep the soreness to a minimum, that way you can get back into the gym and workout at your highest potential. I know how to prevent and treat muscle soreness because, on top of football practice or what ever other sport I am playing, I'm usually in the weight room twice a day. That being said, I need to know how to prevent and treat muscle soreness so I am able to compete at the highest level every day.

Preventing Soreness:

Eat Good Food!
~First and foremost make sure that your diet is in check, because if you are just eating junk food everyday you are likely to be in a lot of pain after a tough leg workout. By making sure you are getting a solid amount of protein and carbohydrates you will be putting your body in a "fresher" state to compete day after day.

Use A Multi Vitamin
~A good multi vitamin - During the past summer I was participating in many different things through out the day (football, track, baseball, basketball, and lifting). I would usually get done with everything around 7-8pm, and I would come home and feel like complete crap. So, I went to Vitamin World, asked some questions, and I left with some multi vitamins. I can honestly say that my recovery and energy took a considerable leap from the time that I wasn't taking a multi vitamin.

Drink Some H2O
~Another thing that has helped me recover is water. By drinking a lot of water (or high electrolyte drinks such as gatorade) you are replacing a lot of what you lost through your workout.

Warm Up + Stretch
~Stretching alone will not prevent soreness, you WILL also need to do a warm-up. This means take 10-15 minutes to ride on a stationary bike or jog around for a while. After you have warmed up it is now time to stretch. I suggest that you stretch for 5-10 minutes, and hold each stretch for 20 seconds. When stretching is followed by a warm-up, studies have shown that it will aid in range of motion, prevention of injury, AND prevention soreness. Studies have also shown that not warming up and stretching cold muscles puts you at higher risk of injury, so remember that.

Treating Soreness:

SLEEP
~The number one aid, in my opinion, in treating soreness is sleep. Getting a good amount of sleep (8-10 hours) will really help recover your muscles. Plus, if you stay up super late every night you are just ruining your chances to build muscle, in that case, you are pretty much wasting all of your hard work.

A Hot Bath
~After a brutal session in the gym or even on a treadmill, I go straight to the hot tub or run some hot water in my bath tub. I will stay in the hot water for about 15 minutes, and this has always worked for me. It really relaxes my muscles and helps reduce the pain. It is also like a reward to me for a hard day in the weight room!

Take A Week Off
~If you are so sore that you fear you might be overtraining, it might be a good idea to take a week off. I find this very difficult to do because I'm used to being in the gym so much, but sometimes you must. The times I have done this I felt better than ever the next week, and I didn't lose any of my strength.

Things to do during or after workout:

More Water!
~For during your workout just making sure that you are drinking water (or gatorade).

L-Glutamine
~Some people believe that glutamine aids in recovery, I being one of them take 5g with my protein shake every night before bed.

Post Workout Shake
~Taking a post workout shake has also helped me. Personally, I use Universal Torrent, I have noticed feeling a lot less sore after my tough workouts. Most post workout shakes also have atleast 5g of glutamine in them.

The day after:

Light Jog
~On the days I don't have a scheduled work out, I have found that it does help to warm up, stretch, and go on a light run. Other than this, I take it pretty easy on my off days.



*I have used all of these techniques to prevent muscle soreness, and I have never been so sore that I couldn't get out of bed and go through my workouts as planned.
**Good luck, and remember to always warm up and then stretch...do NOT stretch cold muscles!

Here are some links for supplements that aid in recovery:
Multi Vitamin (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/multi.html)
Glutamine (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/glutamine.html)
Post Workout Shake (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/univ/torr.html)

[Beast2Be]

Nice post WK :)

[WK21]

Nice post WK :)


thanks man...i could use some new supps.

[Veeshmack]

i'll write one up for this one tonight. i havent entered in a while, but if i'm not mistaken, are the 1st and 3rd questions not asking the exact same thing?

[DatsunKing1]

The key to not being sore.

1. 15-20 minutes cardio post workout
2. Stay Hydrated (Gatorade is good, water is better)
3. Stretch post workout (15 minutes)
4. Stretch before bed.

[weezyfbaby]

i pretty much said the same thing as WK but didnt bold everything up tooo much lol nice nice

[Beast2Be]

Veeshmack, I noticed the same thing. I just gave a brief review on the 3rd question :)

[eagles56]

interesting that everybody is posting so early... there's another couples days to refine your work.

[Beast2Be]

I agree. I finished mine yesterday but am posting it at 11:59 pm on Tuesday :)

[weezyfbaby]

cheaters LOL jk

[WK21]

first time that ive done this...so
plus i was bored...i came up with mine off the top of my head
dont beat me too bad

[Mighty Kev]

Here's this week's article!



Some pain is unavoidable in your quest to get a fit and healthy body, but hopefully not too much!

How can you prevent soreness?
I?m a firm believer that in order to reach your potential in the world of building the best body that is possible, soreness is almost impossible to avoid. We all know and expect that when we come home from a hard day?s workout, that the next morning is going to be a very sore one. Now it may seem very odd, but some of us actually enjoy the feeling of soreness, as it is a reminder of how hard you worked the previous day. But there comes a point when soreness is no longer desirable; when it hinders your ability to continue working out or even affects your everyday life.
First, let?s discuss what exactly soreness is. Now, soreness is basically a combination of lactic acid buildup and the swelling that your body produces in order to begin to repair the tiny muscle fiber tears caused by intense resistance training (1). There are generally two phases of soreness, the first being caused immediately after the workout all the way until the day after the workout. This is essentially caused by the previously stated lactic acid buildup in the muscles. Lactic acid is a byproduct of the breakdown of carbohydrates in the muscles when there isn?t enough oxygen to fully break down the muscle?s glycogen. Physically, this is that pain that you feel during your last few reps of an exercise. This buildup can party remain in the muscles for hours after the workout, even after the muscle is fully re-oxygenated. The second phase of muscle soreness is due to the actual micro-trauma that occurs due to the intense weighted muscle contraction that occurs during a nice weight session at the gym. In this case, the muscle fibers are actually torn and need physical repairing. The synthesis of new protein is the only way to really repair or fix the muscles and stop the swelling and soreness.
Now, the most obvious way to stop muscle soreness is to not perform weight-bearing exercise such as weight training, but for addicts like us that is simply not possible. There are a few preventative measures that can be taken to avoid the worst of the muscle soreness from a workout. To begin, you should be taking in a scoop or two of whey protein about a half hour before each workout in order to begin the muscle recovery process even as you?re doing the workout. Since the amino acids that make up whey protein are also the building blocks to create muscle in the human body, this is clearly essential. Now, secondly and possibly more importantly, you need to warm up before you work out. This should include some light sets and even up to ten minutes of cardio to simply get the blood flowing through the muscles. This will help get the heart pumping so that you are able to more efficiently get oxygen to your working muscles as you lift. This will help prevent too much buildup of lactic acid in addition to lowering the possibilities of injury. This warm-up should also include dynamic stretches such as jumping jacks or jumping rope, and not static stretches. Static stretches can actually begin the tearing of a muscle just enough that the stress of a workout can actually complete a tear and cause an actual muscle tear. Static stretches should be saved until after the workout or immediately before bedtime. One final way to prevent muscle soreness, and it should only be used as a last resort is to take some ibuprofen before your workout. Ibuprofen, which is sometimes called Advil, is an over the counter muscle anti-inflammatory medicine. Some experts suggest that it may hinder muscle gains in weight lifters, but that is not clearly proven. One thing is for sure, it can be taken before a workout to prevent the worst of the muscle soreness. One final thing you can do to help prevent muscle soreness is to perform static stretches right after your workout (while drinking your PWO shake) while the muscles are still warm. This can help release lactic acid out of the muscles in addition lengthening the muscle so that blood can flow more freely through the muscle to help begin the repairing process.

How can you treat soreness that you already have?
Now that we?ve talked about the preventative measures, let?s talk about how you can treat soreness that is already being experienced. Sometimes, soreness just isn?t avoidable. You wake up in the morning and can?t even push yourself off of the bed because of the eight sets of decline bench press that you performed the previous day. There are a few measures that can be taken to deal with soreness that is currently in progress. These are very similar to the preventative measures, but let?s reiterate them here also.
? Take a Protein Supplement
Protein, of course is the foundation of building new muscle. For a hardcore lifter like most of us reading this, you almost can not consume adequate amounts of protein without supplementing. Unless you?re essentially an employee of Tyson?s Chicken Company, you should be taking a protein supplement. My personal favorite is by far Optimum Nutrition?s 100% Gold Standard Whey. Milk Chocolate Extreme is absolutely delicious.
? Stretch
Making sure to warm up prior to beginning the stretching process, stretching can help speed up the muscle recovery process by virtue of increasing the flow of blood to the muscle.
? If necessary, take an anti-inflammatory
If in actual pain, take an anti-inflammatory (NSAID). If the pain persists longer than a day, seek medical attention.
? Other supplements
The supplement companies have been doing vast amounts of research in this specific area of muscle recovery. There are a few supplements that should be looked into, and I?ll list some of them here:
a) Branched Chain Amino Acids- This supplement consists of basically a collection of long amino acids with long substituents which because of their length and stability help reduce the breakdown of muscle after a workout.
b) Glutamine- This amino acid is also a branched chain amino acid but is required by the body in much higher quantities than the other amino acids.
c) HMB- Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate is a semi-new supplement that has become very popular as of late. It is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine, which is one of the amino acids that the body can not produce, meaning it must be ingested. Basically, HMB has been shown to increase protein synthesis in the ribosomes found in the muscles, and also prevent the unnecessary breakdown of previously formed muscle.
d) Post workout Powders- These supplements incorporate a combination of some of the supplements shown above such as BCAA?s and Glutamine, in addition to a blend of protein and simple carbohydrates. The idea behind this is that the spike in blood sugar that is caused by the simple sugars will cause an insulin spike, which can help in the absorption of the amino acids and put the body into an anabolic state.
? Get the blood flowing the day after a workout- Simple things such as taking a walk the day after a leg workout, or going for a swim the day after a nice back workout can drastically improve the speed at which blood can flow through the muscles, helping speed the recovery of the bulk of the repairing muscle mass.

Is there anything you can do to make it less likely that you will get as sore? Things you can do during your workout (like stretching or starting slow with your new program), or after (like taking protein, HMB, or glutamine)?
There are a few things that you can do to make it less likely that you will get sore, a few of them being already listed above. But what it really comes down to is two key things: getting the blood flowing to the muscles that have been worked and keeping allowing adequate nutrients to reach those sore muscles. In order to get the blood flowing to the muscles, you definitely need to stretch in addition to getting moving. It might seem like getting those sore muscles moving would be the last thing you want to do, but it actually will increase the amount of blood that is flowing through the tissue, raising the rate at which you can recover. And that leads us to the other key thing, getting adequate supplementation to provide essential nutrition. The blood that flows through your veins actually carries the nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates to help remove that soreness by way of facilitating the initiation of the muscle recovery process. Definitely supplement with a good amount of protein, BCAA?s, glutamine as well as some other essentials if you have the money to spend.

Should you use cardio or stretching the next day to get the blood flowing or will that just make it worse?
I would absolutely advise that cardio and stretching be used the day after a tough workout. Blood flow is increased during stretching, helping you recover from your workout more quickly, and light cardio, although not intense enough to further break down muscle tissue would not be advisable. Here?s a little method to get the blood flowing for muscle recovery and stopping the soreness:

1. Perform some dynamic stretches
2. Do 10-15 minutes of cardio at a very light intensity
3. Perform deep static stretches, holding each stretch at a level that is just a little uncomfortable to you.
4. Consume 20-40 grams of whey protein, or a complex of whey/ egg white/ casein.



Thanks for reading!
-K (Opiewags99)

References:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness

[Mighty Kev]

The clean version was attached at the bottom by the way. Am clean out of protein, wish me luck.

[weezyfbaby]

u kidding me???

[packthemasson]

Here's mine!

[eagles56]

competition is heating up... I'll start working on my article tomorrow night

[Elliptical Envy]

I think I'll post up an article......on the last day :D

[martinelli]

I also pasted the article in the next 2 posts below, in case the attachment is defective.

[martinelli]

Some pain is unavoidable in your quest to get a fit and healthy body, but hopefully not too much!

How can you prevent soreness?

How can you treat soreness that you already have?

Is there anything you can do to make it less likely that you will get as sore? Things you can do during your workout (like stretching or starting slow with your new program), or after (like taking protein, HMB, or glutamine)?

Should you use cardio or stretching the next day to get the blood flowing or will that just make it worse?

Soreness is a condition commonly brought on by weight training. It is seen most prevalently in individuals who have just begun to perform resistance exercise, are resuming their training after a prolonged layoff, or have made a drastic change in their program. Although the precise details of the mechanisms that cause soreness are unknown, "what is certain is that lactic acid (a transient by-product of muscle contraction) has nothing to do with it" (Rippetoe 212), effectively knocking out any myth-driven possibility of associating the two with each other. Interestingly, it is an occurrence that has triggered the rise of countless questions concerning it. Although the issue regarding soreness seems legitimate, it is one undeserving of such excessive worry and attention.

Ironically enough, some questions about soreness point to some peculiar intrinsic desire to achieve soreness after every workout, the reason being that these individuals have a fixation on using soreness as the sole marker for results and hypertrophy development. The basic question, then, is, "If I am no longer feeling soreness after my workouts, does it mean that the quality of my workouts has dropped?" Certainly not.

Aside from misinformed hearsay, a probable explanation for the soreness myth can be traced back to a beginner's initial workouts, the aftereffects of which would likely be the onset of soreness as well as a marked increase in target muscle size. Oftentimes, with the propensity for beginners to favor training of their arms or chest, the "growth" is especially noticeable. The reality, however, is that much of this "growth" is the result of the temporary diversion of carbohydrates, in the form of glycogen, and water towards muscle stores. And although neuromuscular adaptation mechanisms and myofibrillar hypertrophy are taking place within the body, short-lived but exaggerated initial sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is masking those gains, and so the individual tends to instinctively draw a positive association only between muscle soreness and muscle size. Neural drive and strength development are tossed out the window.

Due to the limited extent to which water and glycogen can be stored within our muscles, this phenomenal increase in visible growth tapers off quite rapidly. At the same time, soreness begins to dissipate as the individual becomes more and more conditioned to his training protocol. Is it no wonder that one would argue that there is a correlation between the two? They are both observed to heighten and abate with respect to each other, and so one cannot blame the camp that sees fit to train exclusively for soreness. Aside from those individuals, there is that other group of people that wishes to reduce or prevent soreness entirely.

"How can you prevent soreness?"

It is not a matter of preventing soreness, but rather minimizing both the frequency and severity with which it occurs.

Solutions to this problem are anecdotal at best. Two widespread beliefs regarding how to prevent muscle soreness are glutamine supplementation and, of course, stretching. In all honesty, there exists too much controversy to settle on a definitive answer. The available studies always contradict each other. Stretching is an especially questionable practice.

In a 1995 study published in the German magazine Sportmedizin, neither static stretching nor pre-workout stretching of any sort reduced post-workout muscle soreness, but rather aggravated it (Sportzmedizin 9:411-421). This discovery was consolidated by a 2002 study performed at the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Sydney that concluded that stretching in amateur athletes did not alleviate soreness (British Medical Journal 325:468-470). A 2003 study in Manual Therapy landed on the same conclusions.

As for glutamine, there "is no scientific evidence for a beneficial effect of oral glutamine supplementation on muscle repair after exercise-induced damage and no evidence of reduced muscle soreness when consuming glutamine compared with placebo" (Gleeson).

Mind you, there are just as many studies supporting stretching and glutamine supplementation as there are refuting it. The point here is that their efficacy is questionable, and the results are not consistent enough to warrant recommendation of either of these as preventative measures in warding off soreness.

How can you treat soreness that you already have?

Aside from protein ingestion post-workout, there are other less feasible (but still worth the try) measures one may take to reduce soreness, which may or may not work depending on the person. Take these with a grain of salt.

1.) Direct icing of the muscle has been shown to reduce inflammation and soreness.
2.) Alternating hot-and-cold showers, which appear to be similar in function to cardiovascular exercise, may improve blood circulation and alleviate soreness. However, although the hot shower dilates the blood vessels, it has been said to simultaneously increase inflammation as well. For this reason, it is recommended that the shower be alternated with and end with cold water. On that same token, a session in the sauna may need to end with a dip under a showerhead spewing cold water. As an aside, Icy Hot may operate under a similar mechanism.
3.) As implied by more recent studies, limiting exaggeration of the eccentric (lowering) portion of reps may reduce the degree to which soreness is experienced, which, then again, is rather self-defeating as the eccentric induces more microtrauma to the muscle, which is what most of us want. Microtears in the muscle, by the way, are the more probable cause for muscle soreness, as suggested by contemporary studies.

A curious thing to note is that it is perfectly fine to train through soreness, as it actually decreases soreness and increases fitness. According to Bryan Haycock, the founder of Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST), research has shown that muscles are designed to recuperate from microtrauma even while undergoing concurrent bouts of trauma (exercise), a premise made apparent in some training styles where such exercises as squats are performed every workout (i.e., three times a week, as on Mark Rippetoe's program and the 5x5). Soreness will dissipate rather quickly once the body adapts. Of course, to be smart about it, one would have to lower either training load or volume to compensate for the increased frequency, but the premise is to continue to train and to do so relatively frequently against a backdrop of soreness. In addition, training frequency is negatively correlated with soreness.

"Waiting before soreness subsides before doing the next workout is a good way to guarantee that soreness will be produced every time, since the athlete never gets adapted to sufficient workload frequency to stop getting sore" (Rippetoe 213).

The implication: if one's training frequency is relatively high, soreness will dissipate much more quickly than with infrequent training, which will only prolong it. "Soreness, unless it is extreme, is no impediment to training. In fact, many records have been set by sore athletes" (Rippetoe 213). And so, soreness is not a terrible monster that needs to be avoided at all costs. It is a normal occurrence that accompanies training and can be ignored, unless it is noticeably excessive. "But, in general, if the warmup returns the movement to its normal range of motion, the workout can be done" (Rippetoe 213).

Is there anything you can do to make it less likely that you will get as sore? Things you can do during your workout (like stretching or starting slow with your new program), or after (like taking protein, HMB, or glutamine)?

Again, the legitimacy of stretching and glutamine supplementation is debatable. With that being said, there are a number of anecdotal techniques reported to have alleviated soreness in some individuals. But they are just that - anecdotal. One strong exception is post-workout ingestion of protein.

A 54-day study conducted in late 2003 that involved random assignment of healthy U.S. Marine recruits to three different treatments showed that, compared against a placebo and control group (carb-protein-fat gram ratios being 0:0:0 and 8:0:3, respectively), post-exercise protein ingestion (8:10:3) resulted in an average of "37% fewer [medical] visits due to muscle/joint problems" (Flakoll et al. 96:951-956). More relevantly, muscle soreness "immediately postexercise was reduced by protein supplementation vs. placebo and control groups on both days 34 and 54" (Flakoll et al. 96:951-956).

Below is a diagram taken from the study with an accompanying description detailing the results of the study among the three groups and their immediate and delayed effects on muscle soreness.
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/2127/totwni8.png

"Fig. 1. Changes in muscle soreness score units from the initial day to either day 34 (A) or the final day (B). Pla, placebo (0 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g fat); Con, control (8 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 3 g fat); Pro, protein supplement (8 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 3 g fat). Measurements were made either immediately after exercise (left) or the day after exercise (right). Values are means ? SE. Positive values represent increased muscle soreness, and negative values represent decreased muscle soreness. *P < 0.05 difference for Pro vs. Pla and Con" (Flakoll et al. 96:951-956).

Aside from protein ingestion post-workout, another feasible measure one may take during the actual workout is warming up.

Rather than stretching first when one is "cold," one would do well to "warm up" either by performing repetitions with a light weight or going for a short run to improve synovial fluid viscosity, which aids in joint cushioning. To quote the age-old adage, when being pulled, "cold taffy breaks, warm taffy doesn't." There is no sense in stretching a cold muscle. Put it off until after warming up.

What about HMB? HMB is short for beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, a metabolite of the essential amino acid leucine that was first brought to my attention in Bill Phillips' book Body for Life. Studies have shown that supplementation with HMB can significantly reduce muscle soreness, especially when taken in conjunction with creatine. These two are just about the only supplements with some credibility as far as muscle soreness reduction is concerned.

Should you use cardio or stretching the next day to get the blood flowing or will that just make it worse?

Cardio is actually quite effective in ridding the muscles of any cellular debris and waste that might have accumulated during intense weight training. Consequently, transport of nutrients and oxygen to the muscle is optimized, and there is some marginal benefit to dissipation of soreness. Stretching in a cold state should be avoided, seeing how it actually increases the risk of injury due to the low viscosity of the synovial fluid. Stretching after cardio, on the other hand, is more reasonable. Even then, one should take care to avoid certain stretches that actually contribute to injury.

(continued in next post.)

[martinelli]

(continued from previous post.)

Of particular notoriety (and worthy of being mentioned at the cost of digression) is the straight-legged standing toe touch (even worse for people who aim past the toes and touch the floor), which was meant to stretch the hamstrings. And while hamstring flexibility is temporarily increased, the damage this can deal to the back far outweighs any justifications for continuing to do it. From the very beginning, the signature rounded back should be a red flag to anyone observing someone performing this stretch. Overflexion of the spine - the culprit for the majority of back pain - is what occurs here. We have always been taught not to round our backs and to bend at the knees when picking up something from the floor. Yet we ignore this simple tidbit of advice and round our backs just about 365 days out of the year. Every time we hunch over to scope the fridge shelves, when we pick up our laundry baskets, or when we bend over to tie our shoes, we are putting our backs in a precarious position. Many stretches only aggravate the condition and facilitate the onset of debilitating back pain; toe stretches, butterfly stretches, down-the-middle splits, you name it. Poor form in everyday activity is horrible by itself; making it a stretch is adding insult to injury. Why not top it all off with heavy deadlifts with a rounded back? One must pick and choose among the myriad of stretches and make an informed decision on which stretches benefit us, and which ones don't. In the case of back health, one must choose to perform stretches that involve normal kyphotic and lordotic curvature of the spine (in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine, respectively). Discouraged from stretching yet? If its next-to-nonexistent benefits on soreness don't deter you, then its potential for increasing injury will. Please pardon the digression.

There are certainly some measures that one can take in preventing soreness, although they are few and far between. And even if more surefire methods to combating soreness were discovered, moderate soreness was never such a serious condition to begin with.

Sources:
Sportmedizin 1995, 9:411-421.
British Medical Journal 2002, 325:468-470.
Gleeson, Mike. "Nutritional Supplements For Sport - Glutamine." Muscular Development.
Flakoll, Paul J., et al. "Postexercise protein supplementation improves health and muscle soreness during basic military training in marine recruits." Journal of Applied Physiology 2004, 96:951-956.
Rippetoe, Mark and Lon Kilgore. Starting Strength: A Simple and Practical Guide for Coaching Beginners.Wichita Falls: The Aasgaard Company, 2005.

[ManInTheBox]

Great topic! Good luck to everyone!

[Beast2Be]

Good luck to everyone! :)

[Mighty Kev]

I feel bad for Will, he's got a sick amount of reading to do for this topic.

[randommagic]

Here is my entry for this week. Good luck everyone.

[mrkdrt]

Wow! A TON of entries..
I started this way back.. just finished the last half now... Mine's short and sweet.. Hope you guys find some of my tips useful - just some techniques I use:

[craig//nicol]

L GLUTIME AFTER A WORKOUT 10g

[bigcalves]

good articles!!!

[bodyb75]

Stretch,stay hydrated, get a good massage to help flush lactic acids, and plenty of sleep!

[weezyfbaby]

when is it released who wins?

[Veeshmack]

when is it released who wins?

usually not for a good month or so


entry attatched

[SBLMsurfer]

What?! prevent soreness!? i love the feeling of sore muscles the next day that feel like you can't lift them. theres no better feeling.

but, i suppose stretching before and afterwords would do the trick. and it helps prevent injuries as well.

[jricono]

How can you prevent soreness?

Keep in mind some soreness is a good sign. Excessive soreness though is the body's way of telling you that you are overtraining and a good sign you are overtraining.
The easy answer is a good diet with an ample amount of protein, a good multi-vitamin, supplementing l-glutamine,proper warm-up, and plenty of sleep.
Okay now for real examples you can take and apply in your routine.
I have personally found that when I split my routine with push/pull I have more of a tendency to be sore compared to when I train opposing bodyparts. For example, a split of back and bi's will leave me more sore than if I do a chest/back routine.
Keep in mind there is also an inverse reationship between intensity and number of sets. If you are really sore you might be doing way too many sets at a low intensity, instead of fewer quality sets to failure. Early in my training I was sore more frequently when I was spending hours in the gym. I also was not making any gains and overtraining.

What do I do if I am sore?

Really the only thing that will cause a muscle to heal will be time. This of course can be sped up with plenty of protein, yoga, taking an anti-inflamatory, stretching a warm muscle, hot tub, and a deep tissue massage.

[bmuffin84]

THE secret to preventing soreness......

Not working out!!!

My friends who don't work out are never sore.
I work out and I am sore.

hmmmmm.......

[DRMAN54]

how bout learn stretching with proper form from a professional or even a coach. I usually ask my coach about anybody part that feels sore and he always knows the perfect stretch to fix it.

[mpking103]

THE secret to preventing soreness......

Not working out!!!

My friends who don't work out are never sore.
I work out and I am sore.

hmmmmm.......

funny !!!!!!
love that one

[roberteyler]

you must stretch before and after workouts, and try to supplement a protein shake before/after or both before and after each workout. Glutamine will also reduce soarness, but stretching is key.

[EpleyAW]

I was told once to "Man Up!". I guess that is the best way to deal with...either that or sit around and poke the sore areas with your finger until you get used to the pain....that can be fun at times too.

[WK21]

when are the results EVER going to get posted

[Mighty Kev]

This one just ended haha, there's like 10 more topics in line before this one gets posted.... so expect about 2 months of waiting

[WK21]

what about now?

[sufri]

Muscle soreness is caused by damage to the muscle fibers. It is not caused by tightness, lactic acid buildup, cold muscles or swelling, so muscle soreness cannot be prevented by stretching, cooling down, warming up, or by taking aspirin.

Muscles contain two types of fibers: white fibers that govern strength and speed, and red fibers that govern endurance. When you exercise vigorously, most of the damage occurs in the white strength and speed fibers. To strengthen these fibers, you have to exercise intensely and through discomfort, which allows the fibers to tolerate greater forces on them and helps you to become stronger and faster, but it also causes soreness. So, all athletes train by stressing and recovering. On one day, they exercise hard and fast. On the next day or two, their muscles are sore. They do not exercise intensely again until the soreness disappears.

If warming up does not help to prevent muscle soreness, why should you do it? You warm up to prevent injuring your muscles when you exercise more intensely. The first time you contract a muscle, you use only about 1 percent of its fibers. As you continue to contract and relax a muscle, you keep on increasing the number of muscle fibers that you can contract together, so you make the muscle stronger. That allows you to jump higher, lift heavier, throw further and run faster. Increasing the number of fibers that contract together also helps to prevent injury. The more fibers in a muscle that you contract together, the less force is applied to each individual fiber and the less likely you are to injure it. So you warm up to recruit more fibers in each muscle, to prevent injury and make you a better athlete.


Go For A Massage

You don't have to see a professional masseuse in order to relieve sore muscles. Even getting a loved one or a friend to massage the muscle will help to warm up the muscle and get the blood flowing to it faster. This will also help to increase the speed of the healing process so you can get back into the gym to train quicker. Even if you can't find someone else and are really stuck, try massaging the area yourself (provided of course you are able to do so). Press on the affected area with enough force that you can feel the muscles around the knot tensing but not so much that you are in extreme pain. After pressing for a good 20-30 seconds, release the pressure and rub the area, thinking of trying to 'rub' out the pain.



Ice it up

Immediately after you feel soreness you should turn to an ice pack. This is the best method to instantly reduce the inflammation in the deep muscle tissue. If you don't have a good ice pack on hand, a frozen bag of peas or corn works perfectly as it is able to bend to the shape of your body. Use it for about 20 minutes every hour at maximum (generally try and do this frequently at the start of the injury and then decrease the frequency as time goes on and swelling is reduced).


Increase Your Intake Of Vitamin C

While you may be tempted to load up on aspirin or other over-the-counter pain medications, it may be in your best interest to take a good vitamin C supplement instead. About 500 milligrams of vitamin C has been shown to be a great way to prevent aches and pain, likely do to the antioxidant properties that vitamin C provides. To make this treatment work most effectively, take it both before and after your workout (taking more than 2000 mg/day is not recommended however)


Don't Neglect Post Workout Nutrition

Immediately after you workout your body is in the best position to utilize any carbohydrates or protein you give it. It needs the proteins to help repair and rebuild the muscle cells and the carbohydrates to provide your body with the energy to do so. Make sure to have a snack as soon as possible after you are out of the gym - one that combines carbohydrates and protein in about a 2:1 ratio (or if you just performed a very intense or longer duration session you may wish to go with a 3:1 ratio since you will need more carbohydrates to refill your muscles glycogen supply).

Good Luck!