Why do my muscles get sore?

Answer:
Your muscles may feel sore after a hard workout, or

run, a round of golf, or any activity that requires the use of your muscles.

It usually takes around eight hours for muscle soreness to materialize. This is referred to as DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. This soreness is a result of damage to the muscle fibers. CPK is an enzyme that is stored in the muscles. When the muscle fibers are damaged during an activity, the CPK is released into the bloodstream causing the soreness.

When we experience this soreness, it should be used a guide to when we should workout again. Exercise is all about stress and recovery. We want to make sure that we are fully recovered before we venture into the gym. Waiting until the soreness has subsided is a good idea, because it tells us that our muscles are fully recovered. If any exercise is done during the soreness period, make sure that it is of a rather low intensity.

Many times soreness will not occur. Do not take this to mean that you did not workout hard enough. Scientists have come a long way in discovering the cause of soreness, but it is still a bit of a mystery as to why we don’t get sore. Many feel that as the muscle fibers become stronger, they are able to contain their CPK.

The long and short is, if your sore form a previous activity, make sure that the soreness goes away before you work those muscles again. Not being sore doesn’t necessarily mean that you didn’t work hard, but being sore is a good indication that you did.


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