Feeling sore is a natural part of training. As you train you are causing stress on your muscles and so as they repair you will feel some soreness. This is often referred to as DOMS. It’s important to understand what happens to your body during the recovery phase so that you can train most effectively.

Feeling sore?

Delay Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS describes what many of you have experienced after strenuous exercise. It is that feeling of muscle soreness which usually comes on 1-2 days after exercise and lasts for 2-3 days. It is distinguished from a muscle strain or sprain in that DOMS is global (the whole muscle group) and relatively mild, whereas muscle tears and strains are usually more localised with a sharper and more painful presentation. Interestingly, as common as this phenomenon is, scientists are still not entirely certain exactly what is happening with DOMS.

The most widely held theory is that exercise causes muscle overloaded which results in microtears in the muscle fibres. These microtears are repaired stronger each time which results in increased muscle strength. The building blocks of this muscle repair are found in protein only. This is why good sources of protein such as steak, chicken, fish and eggs are essential to recovery after strenuous exercise. This is especially so for those engaging in resistance training.

There is some debate and differing results in the research but for athletes a daily intake of 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight will get you close to the right amount. Eating a diet with a large amount of vegetables and fruits also provides the many vitamins and minerals required for all body systems to recover following exercise. Nutrition for recovery and health is a vast topic. Get as many different colours, organic whole food and you will be on the right track. If you want specific guidelines, you can follow this link.