Wellness Tip # 4: If you have ever wondered why you get muscle soreness a day or two after exercise and thought the soreness is caused by Lactic Acid, guess what… Lactic Acid is not the culprit!

 

Feeling sore after training is actually called, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS.  But this isn’t necessarily bad.  Despite what you’ve heard at the health club or from a coach, the culprit is not lactic acid. While Lactic acid build-up has been blamed for prolonged muscle fatigue and discomfort; this idea is false.  What does cause DOMS is usually training harder than you are used to, which in turn causes minor damage to the muscle fibers (Actin and Myosin Fibers).  So, what is making you sore the next day is called “microtrauma” to the muscle fibers—localized, minor damage to the muscle fiber membranes and contractile elements, (Actin and Myosin Fibers).