I ran a 5K this morning and have been feeling fine, if a little tired all day. I know that when I wake up tomorrow I’ll be sore. What causes soreness and why does it usually occur after a night’s sleep?
I’ve discovered that the older you get, the longer it takes for the soreness to kick in. These days, for me, the second day after using the muscles is the most sore.
The keyword you’re looking for is “microtrauma”. You should be able to find something on Google with that.
According to one professor in college, next-day soreness is caused by a buildup of lactic acid in the muscle tissue.
I can’t explain the mechanism of it, in fact I’m surprised I remembered this much.
It’s been known for a long time that lactic acid dissipates within seconds after exercise, and there’s even some recent research that suggests it’s actually a fuel source for muscular activity.
Thanks for the info. It appears my professor was not up-to-date on the facts.
I believe that it has to do with the breakdown of muscle tissue from exertion. FWIW, I’m 43, and yesterday I did a 23-mile bike ride, non-stop. In previous years, this would have resulted in soreness and weakness for two days afterwards, but today I mowed the lawn and made several trips to the basement doing laundry without any problems. “The Day After” can get better over time, provided you’re not overdoing it to begin with.
Vlad/Igor