EXSC 510
CASE STUDY ESSAY QUESTION 4
Sara’s complaints of soreness after exercise are to be expected. She
has never worked out before and is putting her muscles under a lot of stress
all of a sudden as she begins her new program with Tommy. Sara is a
beginner-level exerciser and was sedentary prior. The increase in muscle
usage from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one causes soreness as the
muscles are not conditioned to this intensity yet. The degree of her soreness
is dependent upon the duration and intensity of the exercise that she
participated in. Sara complains of soreness lasting from 24 to 72 hours. This
type and duration of soreness is called delayed-onset muscle soreness
(DOMS). The main cause of DOMS is structural damage to muscle fibers
(Liberty University, Strength Training Considerations, 2021). Further, this structural
damage is actually microtears or microtraumas to the muscle and connective
tissues being used during exercise. These microtears differ in gravity and
severity depending on the type of workout being completed by the person.
Additionally, the degree of the tear is dependent upon the intensity of the
exercise. The structural damage to the muscles is caused during eccentric
phases of exercise (Liberty University, Strength Training Considerations, 2021).
Eccentric muscle contractions occur when the muscle is forced to lengthen
while contracting. An example of eccentric muscle contraction is the lowering
portion of a biceps curl. Once the muscle undergoes this type of structural
damage the body responds as if it is injured. An inflammatory response
occurs which leads to an increase in fluid buildup within the muscle tissue.
This inflammation then pushes against the nerves within the muscle fiber
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which causes more pain (Liberty University, Strength Training Considerations, 2021).
Protease, responsible for breaking down damaged muscle fibers, becomes
overactive. It will break down fibers that were planned to be saved but the
body had not saved fast enough. Calcium ions also begin to leak from the
sarcoplasmic reticulum and messes up the oxidative phosphorylation
process. This causes a slow in the ATP production and there may not be
enough ATP to save certain muscle fibers. This causes those muscle fibers to
also die which further adds to the body’s soreness level (Liberty University,
Strength Training Considerations, 2021). DOMS causes a reduced ability to generate force in the
muscles because of the physical disruption and failure of excitation-contraction process and loss
of contractile proteins (Liberty University, Strength Training Considerations, 2021). Muscle
glycogen synthesis is also impaired with DOMS and the body has issues replenishing stores.
This could impact next day performance with team sports (Liberty University, Strength Training
Considerations, 2021). Sara having DOMS after beginning a new exercise routine
explains this intense soreness that she complains of.
Hyperplasia is the total increase in number of muscle fibers within a
muscle (Liberty University, Applied Muscle Physiology, 2021). Hyperplasia is not a
general cause of soreness though. In fact, the process of hyperplasia to
increase muscle size is not proven to occur in humans (Liberty University, Applied
Muscle Physiology, 2021). Sara may have thought that hyperplasia means the
increase in muscle size following exercise. It is important to note that this is
called hypertrophy. Hypertrophy occurs after resistance training and causes
the pre-existing muscle fibers to increase in size (Liberty University, Applied
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EXSC 510
Muscle Physiology, 2021). The overall increase in muscle size is likely due to
hypertrophy. Soreness is caused by muscle fibers increasing in size
(hypertrophy) and not likely caused by the increase in total number of
muscle fibers (hyperplasia). Similarly, it is important to note to Sara that
lactic acid building up is not the cause of soreness. People who are new to
exercise often get confused about where soreness comes from, and it is
commonly (and wrongly) thought to come from lactic acid. Lactic acid is a
product of the energy systems of the body when oxygen supply is low (Liberty
University, Anaerobic Adaptations, 2021). Your oxygen supply is low during intense
exercise so lactic acid would be produced then. However, lactic acid is
broken down and removed within an hour after completion of exercise bout
(Liberty University, Anaerobic Adaptations, 2021). Because it is removed lactic acid is
not an aspect that leads to or causes DOMS. The symptoms of DOMS occur
within 24 to 72 hours post-exercise and the lactic acid is removed from the
body before then.
In order to decrease the severity of this soreness in the future, Sara
should reduce eccentric components of the workout during early training.
This will reduce the amount of microtears that will occur (Liberty University,
Strength Training Considerations, 2021). Training should begin at low intensity with a gradual
increase to higher intensity. Slowly increasing intensity and duration over the workout program
sessions allows the body to gain strength and endurance over time without injury (Liberty
University, Strength Training Considerations, 2021). Beginning a workout bout with proper
stretching and a 5-minute minimum warmup protocol will help the muscle get ready for the
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subsequent workout. While stretching does not prevent the occurrence of DOMS, it is a healthy
habit that can help reduce risk of injury and further pain. This type of warm up period also allows
your body to gradually build into an exercise session. Quick changes in intensity can impact
DOMS and cause it to be worse. To help with pain related to DOMS, Sara can take over the
counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs. The only way to get rid of DOMS
symptoms, though, is to rest. Allowing the muscles enough time to repair themselves and heal
appropriately is the best way to get rid of DOMS pain. Once the muscles are able to repair
themselves (3-5 days), Sara will be able to work out with Tommy once again. Maximal force-
generating capacity is able to return after a few days or weeks (Liberty University, Strength
Training Considerations, 2021). Rest is the best way for her to be back with Tommy quickly!
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References
Liberty University. (2021). Anaerobic Adaptations. Retrieved from
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/315530/pages/watch-anaerobic-adaptations?
module_item_id=41914419
Liberty University. (2021). Applied Muscle Physiology. Retrieved from
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/315530/pages/watch-applied-muscle-physiology?
module_item_id=41914394
Liberty University. (2021). Strength Training Considerations. Retrieved from
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/315530/pages/watch-strength-training-considerations?
module_item_id=41914400
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