Braun: No ice, no painkillers for exercise-tense muscles

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Gym closed for a long time during the epidemic.

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People are finally getting back to their old workout routines – and now sore muscles can attest to that.

A recent article on delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS inside Washington post Helps explain that this seemingly simple post-exercise muscle strain actually involves complex responses and muscle adaptations.

DOMS is a normal process of muscle adaptation; pain appears 24-72 hours after workout.

DOMS occurs when a muscle lengthens or contracts; this postal An example of lowering the weight in a bicep curl is given.

Muscle soreness usually does not occur during shortened exercise.

If you do something your muscles are not used to, a tiny tear in the fibrous membrane of the muscle can occur. This triggers a chemical chain reaction, postal According to the report, “includes dysregulated fiber contractions, an influx of immune cells, and swelling and pressure build-up.”

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The end result is a repair process that actually uses inflammation to help strengthen and regenerate muscle.

It’s useful to know this so you can take care not to overuse it. If you do experience pain after a workout, you’ll know it’s normal and not a reason to quit exercising.

One way to avoid pain is to slowly resume regular exercise and return to previous levels over time. End your workout with a warm-up and relaxation stretch.

But what if you end up using DOMS?

The natural response might be to ice the muscles or take painkillers, but experts no longer recommend it – DOMS involves repair and muscle building, and it’s best not to get in the way of the process.

Foam rolls or massages are better options.

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You need to take time to recover. You should keep exercising, but with other exercises, and rest the affected muscles until the pain goes away after a few days.

A new study conducted in Japan in the report New York Times The no-icing theory was tested with lab mice.

The study found that muscles left behind after overexercising repair and recover themselves with the help of pro-inflammatory cells — and much faster than ice-cold muscles. Even after two weeks, the iced muscle showed lingering tissue damage and molecular signs of incomplete healing.

“Icing slows healthy inflammatory responses,” said Takamitsu Arakawa, a professor of medicine at Kobe University’s Graduate School of Health Sciences. He oversaw the study.

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As for Tylenol/Advil/Aleve: Forget it. There is plenty of research showing how over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can hinder natural processes by reducing inflammation.

a study published in magazines, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Explains the role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) as a key inflammatory mediator of muscle stem cells, a cornerstone of muscle regeneration.

It states that NSAIDs, commonly used to treat pain after muscle injury, “inhibit PGE2 synthesis, hinder muscle regeneration, and lead to muscle weakening.”

NSAIDs may even be linked to chronic pain, according to a new Canadian study on the role of inflammation in healing. Science Translational Medicine.

“General muscle soreness from strength training is healed by time,” said Kurt Luczak, owner of F45 Ossington, a fitness training facility in Toronto.

“It makes funny noises when you go up and down the stairs,” he jokes.