Crossfitters are strange. At least we seem strange to the other 99% of the population. Here is why, demonstrated by a sample converstation:
Crossfitter 1: “I am sore. Like really sore. I can barely walk. I can’t wait to get back to the gym again today, I need to foam roll so badly.”
Non- crossfitting co- worker/ family member/ stranger you just met: “That sucks.”
Lets try this same conversation between two crossfitters
Crossfitter 1: “I am sore. Like really sore. I can barely walk. I can’t wait to get back to the gym again today, I need to foam roll so badly.”
Crossfitter 2: “Nice.”
This post is addressing muscle soreness. As “science proves the obvious” likes to do, we are going to rename “soreness” with another acronym: DOMS. DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. We have ALL experienced this. You wake up the morning after a hard session aching all over. The next day it just gets worse. It seems like a week before you get yourself right again. I’ll explain how and why this happens and wrap it up with what you can do about it.
Firstly I want to dispel a myth about DOMS. It is NOT caused by lactic acid buildup. Lactic acid is a by-product of anaerobic exercise. It is the ‘burn’ you feel when you are digging into your last run up the hill, or that last push up right before failure. Lactic acid builds up quickly and is flushed out almost as fast. The longest lactic acid levels will remain elevated is an hour.
Ok, so if our muscles aren’t getting sore from lactic acid build up why are they then? The simple answer is because when we exercise we ask our muscles to do more than they are currently capable of. The soreness is a result of overloading, which creates a stimulus to both get stronger and to learn to use your muscles more efficiently.
Muscles, because of their structure (http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2011/01/muscles-where-the-magic-happens/), can only produce force by shortening. The important element of muscle structure to DOMS is the tiny protein hooks that cumulatively create a muscle contraction. During exercise sometimes these protein hooks are going to be trying to pull in one direction, but being overcome by a stronger force. In this case some of these proteins are going to be damaged, literally torn apart. These tears are different than what we normally consider a muscle strain or tear, which happens to muscle fibers. The tears which cause DOMS are happening to the proteins that make up the muscle fiber itself.
Most likely you will start to feel more soreness the next day or the day after, this is the delayed part of the equation. What’s happening is that these tiny tears are getting inflamed. Inflammation is a natural part of the healing process, its what brings repair materials to a damaged area and its what makes it tender and painful. Inflammation takes time to set in so you will find that it gets worse before it gets better. Days 2-3 are usually the most painful. Depending on how much your muscle is strained DOMS can last anywhere from 2-3 days to 14 days.
You already know when you are going to get sore. Days when you go heavy, because your muscles are going to struggle to create enough force to lift the weight. Days when we do big volumes of exercise, because you will accumulate many more of tiny muscle tears that create DOMS. When you are doing an exercise you haven’t done for a while, or ever, you can expect to be sore because your body won’t be adapted to that kind of stress. Certain movements create more muscle soreness, things like slowly lowering yourself from the rings, or controlling a deadlift all the way back down to the floor. The time you can definitely expect DOMS to come around is the day following your first workout after some time off.
To reduce the pain, you need to reduce the inflammation and speed recovery of the muscle. Your best bet is to eat well, and sleep a lot. Movement helps as well. If you do nothing because you are sore, your body can’t flush the inflammation out of your tissues, so it kinda just stays there. Foam rolling is going to speed your recovery process as well, and is very important to do to before you work out if you are already sore.
Why is it important to understand DOMS? This is how we get stronger. Recovering from an episode of DOMS, the muscle grows back stronger to better withstand the demands you have placed on it. It is important to remember that a sore muscle is a damaged muscle in the process of healing. When you are sore you are less able to produce force, which makes sense because some of the parts that make it work have been ripped to shreds. If you have DOMS and you ask your muscle for maximum output, you might only get 70%. Good news on DOMS, the first time is the worst. After that first really rough bout of DOMS you actually get better at recovery as well as stronger so you heal faster and hurt less. Bad news though, if you take a prolonged break from training, DOMS is waiting for you when you start up again. The most important thing to know about DOMS is that it is a regular part of exercising, and as an athlete it is a regular part of your life.
Workout of the Day 2/11/2011
A. Back Squat 5-5-5
B. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Deadlifts (185/135)
Box Jumps (24/20)
Kettlebell Swings (1.5/1)
40M Sprint
So what you’re saying is we get stronger from the rippin’ and the tearin’, the rippin’ and the tearin’. (anyone seen that video?)
Sean, very nice post. I frequently wonder about this very topic.
My conversations usually go something like this.
Me- “By God, I’m sore as tarnation today boy! Damn that Fran WOD was hard!”
Non-CrossFitting friend/girlfriend/family-*Actual comments* “I don’t think that’s good for you to be sore all the time. You are always sore! I don’t think CrossFit training is a healthy thing to do all the time. Being sore all the time can’t be good for you. You should probably take a break and do something else. CrossFit seems like the type of thing you should do when you are training for something, not something you can keep up with (for a number of years).”
I’m sore a lot, and I get these comments all the time from my non-CrossFit peeps. I guess I have a bunch of questions some regarding the above comments: Is being sore after most WODs bad? Also is compounding the muscle fiber tears day after day doing more damage than good? Example, if sore from heavy squats is it best to skip a day and roll out and simply warm up rather than do snatch or cleans the next day? Lastly, because of the intensity of the CrossFit system of exercise is it sustainable for long periods of time (ex: months, years) without changing programing? In other words, CrossFit constantly asks our muscles for maximum output during Met-Cons, if we are affected by DOMS we may only be getting 70% output. Is this constant cycle of soarness and recovery sustainable?
Thanks.
Matt
Get ripped! haha.
So what’s the deal with taking pills (supplements) after to help the muscle heal? I forget what they are called. Is that all a crock?
Both of these are excellent questions. so excellent, I think they require I well thought out, researched answers. I am going to address all of the above in my follow up post next friday, because clearly there is much more to explore on this subject. thanks for the feedback!
Great article! There are so many fallacies on soreness, and what helps to eliminate soreness, etc. Glad this got press on the main site as it is a good read for those who want to understand what DOMS actually is. On supplement recovery, I previously(7 yrs ago) took glutamine for post workout recovery. I can’t say that I noticed whether or not it truley worked. Based on the fact that you do tend to get less sore as you workout more, my body did most of the work for me.
<3 heart sean
Great post, Sean. Also love to see the mobility work you guys are getting in at your box. Just wanted to throw in one other thought…. Taking NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) like Naproxen, Ibuprofen or even Aspirin post-workout will reduce inflammation and pain but in so doing, inhibit the muscle fibers from healing (and getting stronger). It would be a shame to erase all that hard work by taking something for the pain afterwards. Ice, fish oil, foam roll but resist the urge to pop that pill.