Types of Muscle Soreness Caused by Bodybuilding Training

Soreness is a normal part of the recovery process that starts once you finish your bodybuilding workouts.

There are several degrees of soreness that we need to be aware of:

Typical Mild Muscle Soreness:
The first type of soreness is the typical mild muscle soreness experienced the day after a good workout. While scientists are still unable to pinpoint the true cause of such soreness, it is generally accepted that it is caused by micro trauma caused at muscle fiber level and by an excess of lactic acid. At either rate, what’s important is the fact that this is good soreness as it is of a mild nature and muscle function is not impaired. It generally lasts a day for advanced athletes and up to 3 days for a beginner. This soreness is a good indicator that you had a good workout the day before as you created the trauma necessary to trigger adaptation (e.g. muscle growth). When you are no longer experiencing this type of soreness then that is an indication that your body has successfully adapted to the training program; something that leads to no gains unless the routine is changed once again.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness:
The second type of soreness is delayed onset muscle soreness, better known as DOMS. The term DOMS refers to the deep muscular soreness usually experienced two days after the wokout has been done (not the day after). This soreness prevents the full muscular contraction of the muscle. This type of more severe soreness is caused when you either embark an exercise program for the first time or when you train a body part much harder than usual. This pain can last between a couple of days for an advanced well-conditioned athlete or as much as a week for a beginner. If you are being affected by this type of soreness and it is time to workout again, I find that the best idea is not to take the day off, but instead to exercise the body part doing an Active Recovery routine. The Active Recovery Routine that I am referring to here is a routine where all of the loads are reduced by 50% and the sets are not taken to muscular failure. For example, if you are to perform an exercise for ten repetitions, divide the weight that you usually use for that exercise by two and that is the weight that you will use for that day. Also, stop executing the exercise even though you will not have reached muscular failure once you get to repetition number ten. The idea of this type of workout is to restore full movement in the muscle and to remove the lactic acid and other waste from it. Also, to force high concentrations of blood into the damaged area in order to bring the nutrients needed by the muscle for repair and growth. I have always found that doing this is always more beneficial as by the next day you will not be as sore or stiff anymore as opposed to skipping the workout in the name of recovery and waiting for the pain to subside in a week or so.

Injury-Type Muscle Soreness:
The third type of soreness is the one caused by injury. This soreness is entirely different in nature from the ones described above as it is usually immobilizing in nature and very sharp. Depending upon the nature of the injury, it may be experienced only when the muscle is moved in a certain way or constantly. Sometimes these injuries become apparent as soon as they happen. Other times the day after. If you become injured, the first thing that you should do is apply the RICE principle (Recovery, Ice, Compression and Elevation). After consulting a doctor, some injuries may allow you to continue training while working around the injury (in other words, finding the exercises that target the injured muscle without involving the range of motion that triggers the pain). Other more serious injuries, like a muscle tear, may involve complete rest of the injured area, and depending on the severity, it may require even surgery. Therefore, when you weight train, please leave the ego somewhere else. Do not bring it into the weight room as it may cause you to get injured and injuries not only can take you out of the gym for a while, but they always seem to haunt you long after you think that you have fully recovered. So needless to say, the best way to prevent this type of soreness is by cycling your exercise parameters and by constantly practicing good form.

There are a few techniques that one can use to manage muscle soreness from the first two types:

Ensure proper nutrition:
While this should be obvious, a lot of people miss the boat on this one. If you do not take the proper amount of carbohydrates (1-2 grams per pound of body weight depending on how fast your metabolism is), 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight and 15-20% of your total calories from good fats, your body will not have all of the nutrients that it needs in order to recover and grow (regardless of what supplements you are taking).

Drink your water:
While this does not look fancy, muscle is over 66% water. Therefore it is of utmost importance that you drink your water. You need your body weight x 0.66 in ounces of water on a daily basis in order to function properly. So if you weigh 200-lbs then you need 132 ounces of water per day. Less water than that and you impair your ability to flush out toxins and thus your recovery will be adversely affected.

Periodize your training and keep training sessions to 60 minutes maximum:
If you train heavy all of the time, this will invariably lead to overtraining and even injury. The same is true if your volume is too high. Therefore, it is important that you periodize your workouts by manipulating the volume and how heavy you train. Alternate periods of higher volume and lower weights (10-15 reps) with periods of lower volume and heavier weights (6-8 reps). In addition, in order to maintain anabolic hormone levels high, refrain from training for longer than 60 minutes (45 minute sessions being even better). After 60 minutes testosterone levels go down while cortisol levels rise. As a result, training past the 60 minute mark leads to increased cortisol levels and thus impaired recovery.

Do some cardio:
Believe it or not, three to four 30 minute sessions of cardiovascular exercise a week will actually help you speed up recovery since the extra oxygen and circulation helps to flush out toxins and lactic acid out of the system. So do not neglect your cardio.

Alternating hot/cold showers:
Alternating cold and hot showers (30 seconds of cold water followed by 1 minute of hot water) is a great method to help flush out toxins and lactic acid. The cold water creates vasoconstriction while the hot water creates vasodillation. You can use this simple method after a hard workout. Typically, I like to do 3-5 rounds of cold and hot.

Massage:
Massage can help with lymph movement (a fluid that helps to remove waste from body tissues), which combined with blood helps to supply oxygen and nutrients while helping to rid the body from wastes and toxins. While ideally, the higher the frequency of training, the more often one should get a massage, a massage performed once a month will do wonders for your overall recovery.

Enzyme supplementation:
There is an incredible amount of research that shows certain enzymes are not only good for digestion, but they are also good for anti-inflammation and recovery. I did not really believe this until I started using an enzymatic formula that has helped to reduce the soreness and inflammation that happens after the workouts with great results. The formula’s name is Sorenzymes, and it is composed of many enzymes that have healing properties and that reduce inflammation. At first, I really did not understand how enzymes can help to recover faster but Lee Labrada set me straight on this. Lee told me that this formula is composed of enzymes that work on a systemic level and address the issue of DOMS. He said: “One of the things that we have been finding from our research is that judicious use of enzymes can actually reduce the inflammation associated with DOMS, which increases recovery and therefore increase muscle growth – it can almost double it. It’s tremendous”. I must say that after I tried the formula, I was not disappointed and thus became a believer in enzyme supplementation. Just 4 capsules taken on an empty stomach after training do the trick for me.

L-Glutamine supplementation:
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle cells. It is released from the muscle during times of stress (such as hard weight training workouts) and dieting. This amino acid not only has been shown to be a great anti-catabolic agent (protects the muscle from the catabolic activities of the hormone cortisol), to be a contributor to muscle cell volume, and to have immune system enhancing properties. For more information on glutamine please take a look at my article on Glutamine Basics.

Take Your EFA’s:
EFA supplementation has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties (amongst many other good properties). Take at least 14 grams per every 100-lbs of bodyweight. Good sources of EFAs are Fish Oils, Flax Seed Oil, and EFA Lean Gold.

Take your creatine:
Creatine has been shown over and over again to help improve not only in between set recovery but also recovery after a workout as well. Half a teaspoon (2.5 grams) before and after your workout will upgrade your recovery capabilities. For more information on creatine please take a look at my article on Creatine Basics.

Get enough sleep:
If you don't get enough sleep your cortisol levels will go through the roof, recovery will be impaired, and your probability of getting injured and/or sick will increase. It is of utmost importance that one gets as much sleep as possible with 8 hours being optimal. 

How many workouts bodybuilders can skip (without reducing their progression)?

Bodybuilders who skip the occasional workout – because they lack the time or inclination – make just as much progress as bodybuilders who never miss a session. But athletes who skip more than 20 % of their training sessions are definitely jeopardizing their progression, according to a study that sports scientists at the University of Brasilia.

The Brazilians did an experiment with 90 male students, who at the start of the study had never touched weights. The researchers asked all of the students to train twice a week in a gym. The experiment lasted 11 weeks.

The workouts consisted of five basic exercises: leg press, leg curls, bench press, lat pull-downs and old-fashioned sit-ups. The students trained using a weight with which they could manage 8-12 reps, and rested for 90-120 seconds between sets.

Low, mid & high
Not all students attended the gym sessions faithfully. The researchers labelled 21 of the students “Low attendance”. On average these students missed a quarter of the workouts.

The Intermediate-attendance group were slightly more dedicated. They only missed an average of 15 percent of the training sessions.

The High-attendance group only missed 5 percent of the training sessions.

Leg strength
The researchers discovered that all groups developed the same amount of strength in their leg muscles.

Bench press
But missing training sessions did influence the amount of kilograms the students were able to lift when doing bench presses. The weight with which they could just manage 1 rep  increased by more in the Intermediate and High-attendance groups than in the Low-attendance group.

“We suggest that, during exercise prescription for young men, it is recommended to establish a minimum of 80 percent of training attendance to get optimal upper body strength gains”, the Brazilians conclude. “This information may be important for coaches and athletes during the design and execution of an RT program and for researches in the design of research protocols.”

Effects of training attendance on muscle strength of young men after 11 weeks of resistance training.

Training attendance is an important variable for attaining optimal results after a resistance training (RT) program, however, the association of attendance with the gains of muscle strength is not well defined. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to verify if attendance would affect muscle strength gains in healthy young males.

Ninety two young males with no previous RT experience volunteered to participate in the study. RT was performed 2 days a week for 11 weeks. One repetition maximum (1RM) in the bench press and knee extensors peak torque (PT) were measured before and after the training period. After the training period, a two step cluster analysis was used to classify the participants in accordance to training attendance, resulting in three groups, defined as high (92 to 100%), intermediate (80 to 91%) and low (60 to 79%) training attendance.

According to the results, there were no significant correlations between strength gains and training attendance, however, when attendance groups were compared, the low training attendance group showed lower increases in 1RM bench press (8.8%) than the other two groups (17.6% and 18.0% for high and intermediate attendance, respectively).

Although there is not a direct correlation between training attendance and muscle strength gains, it is suggested that a minimum attendance of 80% is necessary to ensure optimal gains in upper body strength.

Soy protein found to deplete testosterone in men

The health detriments of soy consumption are reiterated in a new study out of the University of Connecticut that highlights the importance of avoiding soy at all costs. Researchers from the school found that men who consume soy protein rather than whey protein for muscle recovery and growth experience considerable reductions in their testosterone levels, as well as marked increases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

The randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study looked at how soy supplementation affects testosterone, cortisol and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in men who engage in resistance exercises and training. They compared these effects to those brought about in men who supplement with whey.

For the research, 10 resistance-trained men in their early 20s had their hormones evaluated in conjunction with an assigned supplemental diet. The men were divided into three groups: one receiving whey protein isolate, one receiving soy protein isolate and the last receiving a maltodextrin-based placebo control. The men were not allowed to take any other supplements, and vegetarians, vegans and individuals who were consuming high-protein diets were excluded. For two weeks, the men were told to ingest 20 grams of their assigned supplement every morning at the same time. The participants were then instructed to perform six sets of heavy resistance squats at 10 reps each, exerting 80 percent of their maximum lifting weight. At the end of the 14-day period, the researchers collected hormone profiles from each of the men and made comparisons.

They found that, compared to the men who supplemented with whey, those taking soy did not necessarily produce more estrogen. They did, however, experience decreased testosterone levels and elevated cortisol levels, a deadly combination that can leave men at risk of disease and weight gain. Lowered testosterone levels and elevated cortisol levels are also generally attributed to the feminization phenomenon occurring in men that sometimes leads to disorders like nipple discharge, breast enlargement and hot flashes. It can also lead to inhibited thyroid function, bone loss, sleeping disorders, decreased sex function and reproductive problems.

"Our main findings demonstrate that 14 days of supplementation with soy protein does appear to partially blunt serum testosterone," wrote the authors. "In addition, whey influences the response of cortisol following an acute bout of resistance exercise by blunting its increase during recovery."

In other words, soy protein is not what men who work out and train their bodies want to supplement with for muscle recovery and growth. Besides the fact that it lacks the right type of amino acid profile for muscle building, soy protein clearly exerts a demasculinization effect in multiple ways, robbing men of their manly essence and characteristics, including their strength and drive for life. "[O]ver the past few decades, many researchers have found that phytoestrogens have adverse effects on both the production and utilization of hormones in males," wrote Tim Boyd for The Weston A. Price Foundation, citing multiple studies looking specifically at soy protein, soy flour and other soy derivatives commonly found in the food supply.

"Testosterone might appear to be just a macho thing, but it's a vital hormone for growth, repair, red blood cell formation, healthy sleep cycles and immune function, in addition to sex function," he added, noting that "low levels of testosterone have also been linked to low thyroid function, another unwanted and common side effect of soy consumption. Low thyroid function leads to loss of libido in both men and women."

Aromatase inhibitors give women more muscle mass

Anastrozole ~ Men show little change in body composition if you block their estradiol production with the enzyme aromatase. In women things are different, oncologists at the University of Pittsburgh in the US discovered. Aromatase inhibitors boost muscle mass in the fair sex.

Let’s start with a recap: there are two sorts of anti-oestrogens. First of all there are SERMs, like Tamoxifen and Clomiphene. These block the estradiol receptors and thus prevent estradiol from doing its work. They often actually take over some of the functions of estradiol. In men SERMS raise testosterone levels; in women they don’t.

And then there are the aromatase inhibitors like Anastrozole. These interfere with the functioning of the enzyme aromatase as a result of which less androstenedione and testosterone are converted into estradiol.

Chemical athletes use anti-oestrogens to counteract the side effects of some anabolic steroids, but also to restore the body’s own testosterone production after taking a course of steroids. Doctors subscribe the same anti-oestrogens for breast cancer survivors, as they reduce the chance of the cancer returning.

Tamoxifen - Doctors have collected a lot of information on the side effects of SERMS, in particular those of Tamoxifen. Long-term use of Tamoxifen leads to negative changes in body composition. Women often lose muscle mass and build up fat. Not much is yet known about the side effects of aromatase inhibitors.

Letrozole - For example, what is the effect of aromatase inhibitors on women’s body composition? This is the question that the researchers set out to answer in the small study they did of 82 women, who they monitored over a period of two years. The women were all cancer survivors. Half of them were given a SERM – usually Tamoxifen. The other half were given an aromatase inhibitor, such as Letrozole, Anastrazole. During the 24 months that the study lasted the fat mass of the women who took SERMs increased by a kilogram, while there was no increase in fat mass in those who took an aromatase inhibitor.

SERMs had no effect on lean body mass, while the aromatase inhibitors led to more than a kilogram increase in lean body mass.

The aromatase inhibitors increased the amount of testosterone in the blood, and the researchers think that this was the reason for the increase in the women’s lean body mass.

Exemestane - We, the nit-picking compilers of this web magazine, have a teeny problem with this study: the researchers do not reveal how many of the women in the AI group were given exemestane. Moreover, we wonder whether the miraculous effects of the aromatase inhibitors would still be observed if the exemestane had been excluded from the study. Exemestane is not just an aromatase inhibitor: It’s also an androgen with an anabolic effect and it is an anabolic steroid.