Muscle Soreness Explained

There are two types of muscle pain generated from working out… Lactic acid build-up is the burning sensation commonly felt during a set of strenuous exercise. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is the soreness felt the days after a workout. Soreness is a good thing right?

Well, too much soreness is an indicator that you have overexerted yourself and will need more time than usual to recover before your next workout. DOMS is actually micro-tears in your muscles, and too many of these is the cause of over-training. A little soreness is good, but getting sore after every workout is deterimental. A few remedies to ward of DOMS are massages, ice/heat packs, and a light cardio workout followed by stretching.