Exercise doesn't just make you look good, it also improves your health. People who perform moderate to vigorous exercise on a regular basis have lower risk of disease and improved quality of life. However, exercise can be uncomfortable when you are performing it and sometimes causes muscle soreness. Exercise-induced muscle tissue damage is normal and causes adaptations to your body.
Muscle Fibers
Skeletal muscle is striated in appearance and made up of tiny, hair-like fibers that permit movement. When you perform exercise at a higher intensity than you are used to or make changes to your exercise program, your muscles are damaged on a microscopic level. This causes the muscle fibers to adapt and subsequent bouts of similar exercise will not damage the tissue in the same way again, according to a study published in the November 2002 issue of "American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation."
Overload and Progression
You need to continually overload your body in order to see progress, or benefit, from exercise. Overload stresses your muscles and your body beyond what it is accustomed to. Once you become accustomed to a specific activity or resistance level, you need to progress and overload it again by changing your program. Without these principles and the exercise-induced muscle damage they can cause, you will not get stronger, faster, lose weight or improve your endurance.
Rest and Recovery
Rest after a strenuous workout is essential to repair the damaged muscle tissue. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you rest a muscle or group of muscles at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions. If you are still sore after 48 hours, you may need another day or two. Cardiovascular exercise can be done every day, but if you are sore, perform lighter intensity activity and shorten the duration of your session.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition after a strenuous workout that causes muscle tissue damage can enhance recovery and limit muscular soreness and fatigue. Consume food and/or drink that contains 3 to 4 g of carbohydrate to 1 g of protein within two hours of the end of your workout. Chocolate milk, a fruit smoothie with yogurt or milk or a pre-made recovery drink are all good options. The total amount of calories in your post-workout meal/drink depends on how many calories you burned and your body weight goals.
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation"; Exercise-induced Muscle Damage in Humans; P.M. Clarkson, et al.; November 2002
- University of Massachusetts Amherst: Exercise Induced Muscle Damage and Repair
- "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook"; Nancy Clark, MS, RD; 2008
