I work out regularly in one form or another and have a question about the body’s recovery system. After a good bout in the weight room, I’m tired, but generally feel fine. The next day, there are a few tender spots in the exercised areas, but usually not much stiffness. That second day afterwards, though, WHAM. My legs move like dry spaghetti, I ache everywhere, etc. It’s evident that the muscles are putting up their “Molecules at Work” signs and making repairs, but why the delay? Why don’t I feel the brunt of the pain the next day? Just in case, is there an agreed-upon way to speed up this recovery process (so I can, you know, WALK sooner)?
What you are experiencing is known as “DOMS.” Delayed onset muscular soreness. A marathon runner will feel most sore 3 or 4 days after a marathon, not the next day or the day after. Your muscles were not damaged as much, so your delay is not so great. There are various theories, but none established, as far as I know. It is known that your muscles get minute tears after a work-out which causes the soreness, but why the delay? Perhaps it has something to do with lactic acid or with repair. They advise that the day after a marathon, the marathoner should exercise lightly to get the blood flowing to remove the lactic acid faster, indicating that it was once believed, and still may be, that lactic acid is the culprit. I don’t think so, as that should be recycled in short order. I think it’s the repair process. In short, I don’t know. But at least I gave you a name for it.