The sting of hard work - delayed muscle soreness

During spring quarter, the most popular question I was asked was to avoid or get rid of muscle soreness after working out? A lot of times, I like to ask them what they think rather than telling them the real cause of it and all of them answer in the same fashion: lactic acid buildup. Little do they know that's really not the cause of delayed muscle soreness, and hopefully after this post the misconception will be cleared up. 


What lactic acid, or really lactate, really is is a molecule that's been converted from pyruvate during anaerobic glycolysis. I know this all just sounds like scientific nonsense right now, but let me first explain some basics on human metabolism and how the body produces energy.

First, the body needs ATP (an energy molecule) to carry out everyday metabolic and physical activities. There are two ways that the body generates ATP, through aerobic or anaerobic glycolysis. Aerobic simply means that this pathway requires oxygen whereas anaerobic does not require oxygen. The aerobic pathway produces a much higher yield of ATP, therefore making it the most effective and efficient method of energy production.


In order to undergo an aerobic pathway, there must be enough oxygen delivered to the site of activity. For example, while you are jogging or swimming, you breathe must more frequently therefore delivering enough oxygen to those muscle cells. With that oxygen, the pyruvate (originally glucose) is converted into acetyl-coA. The acetyl-coA is then broken down further into a very high yield of ATP molecules.

Now if you were to lift weights or sprint, the body hardly breathes therefore it does not deliver the sufficient amount of oxygen to your muscle cells. Without oxygen, your body converts the pyruvate into lactate. Lactate therefore is broken down into a much smaller yield of ATP.

Lactate production continues for 1-3 minutes in which it builds up in high concentrations in your muscle tissues. This high concentration increases acidity in your muscle cells, making it a poor environment for ATP production (explaining why it generates a smaller yield than aerobic pathways). 


Lactate provides a temporary burst of energy in order for you to finish that last rep or last few meters of your anaerobic exercise to prevent your muscles from giving out and causing severe or permanent muscle damage. Lactate also causes that burning sensation during your workout, not afterwards. That signals you that you should ease up on that particular muscle and allow 24 hours to let that muscle relax and clear out the high concentration of lactate. Without that burning sensation, there is no indication that your muscle will give out on you therefore increasing chances of muscle damage. 


There has not been any research to support one, solid explanation as to what causes delayed muscle soreness. However, the most popular theory is "microtrauma", in which your muscles experience microscopic tears in its fibers. These tears cause inflammation and an a build up of red blood cells and white blood cells to try and heal the tears. The inflammation also causes swelling of the muscle cells and subsequently causes soreness. The image below shows the most common sites of muscle tears after an intense workout.

 wikipedia.com

Don't worry, I didn't forget what the original question was. The best way to avoid soreness is to stretch before and after your workout and to rest each muscle for at least 24 hours. If the microtrauma theory is true, then my advice to stretch before and after a workout would be highly beneficial because stretching allows for the muscle to be less rigid and stiff and therefore less susceptible to these microscopic tears. 

Hopefully all this information cleared up some misconceptions. If you want a better explanation of the metabolic pathways I've found these two websites to be really helpful (I'm sure you'll recognize one of these sites from your high school days).


http://www.doctorsexercise.com/journal/aerobic.htm

http://www.sparknotes.com/biology/cellrespiration/glycolysis/section3.rhtml

Don't let the soreness of exercising discourage you from continuing your regiment. In fact, studies show that exercise has direct correlation to overall mental and social vitality. Read this blog if you need a few more reasons and words of encouragement to get back on that bench or treadmill at the gym.


http://www.livestrong.com/article/154524-problems-college-students-face-when-they-dont-exercise/

Confessions of a college girl: yo-yo dieting

Admit it girls, we have all at one point in our lives skipped a couple meals to fit into that little black dress for a big party coming up, fooling ourselves into thinking we'd lose that extra belly fat. It does work, but at what cost?

fitsugar.com

What very few people know is that when someone starves themselves, they reset their metabolism and gains more fat in the long run. To understand why, let me explain a few facts on human metabolism first.


The body breaks down carbohydrates, fats, and protein in that order. We all have a pretty good understanding of what carbs and protein are, but what most people don't know is that fat is stored excess carbs the body cannot break down in one sitting. Fats are broken down as the second source of energy when carbs are not readily available to be metabolized. 


When a person is not eating consistently, the body automatically assumes he/she will not be eating for a very long time. As a survival mechanism, it stores what little food you do consume during your fast as fat and resets your metabolism to do so until you reestablish a consistent eating habit, which could take anywhere from 2 weeks-a month. 


To prevent this reset, eat small meals consistently throughout the day. This both prevents your metabolism from resetting and allows it to break down foods faster because you're eating more frequently so it resets it to a higher/faster pace. 


And for those still looking to lose those few excess pounds quickly, eat 3 small meals a day consisting of high protein (like lean meats or fish or eggs) with a small helping of rice. Since you are eating small meals consistently throughout the day, your metabolism does not reset to a smaller pace so it metabolizes these foods regularly. And because you’re eating such small amounts of carbs, your body automatically has to break down fat to provide yourself with enough energy for your day-to-day activities.

proteinrichfoods.com

Hopefully this information convinced you to not starve yourself anymore for the sake of a few pounds. I know that if I were risking a slower metabolism, I wouldn't dream of repeating this mistake twice. 

Feeling the weight (gain) of college

The most common phenomenon that strikes most college students (including myself) is the infamous Freshman 15. It's infamous for a multitude of reasons; the environment is fast-paced, stressful, and just begging for the students to pick up unhealthy habits. Most of our time is either spent studying or (for a lucky bunch) partying. 

 

blogs.courant.com

There aren't enough hours in the day for our academics and social life let alone time to eat right and go to the gym. We grow tired from those late nights studying and inadvertently feasting on late night snacks. 


You all know what I'm talking about. The good ole reliable cup of noodles (a college student favorite) is often the food of choice during those late hours or the fatty foods available at 24 hour food shops like Rigoberto's carne asada fries (a UCSD favorite). 


You might be able to see where I'm going with this. You might think I'll preach about eating healthier snacks during those hours and that those foods mentioned above cause the cumulative weight gain, and you're not wrong. It would be a better idea to snack on fruits and crackers, but I much rather explain why your body metabolizes food slower after midnight and to promote sleeping at regular hours. 


Cortisol is a steroid hormone whose main function includes raising blood sugar levels and increasing fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism in the body. Its release is stimulated by stress (a condition all too familiar for us students) and peaks in the early morning. Cortisol levels are at its lowest after midnight, meaning your metabolism is at its lowest during those hours. Those rumors that eating your midnight snack causes that stubborn weight gain is all very true and easily preventable. 

 

functionalhealthtests.com

The simplest solution would definitely be to sleep at regular hours (preferably no later than 1 am) but of course that's not always an option. The next best option would be the healthy snack route, meaning celery (which is really negative calories because it takes so much energy for the body to digest) or a few cookies or crackers. Avoid chips at all costs. Foods high in protein is a bit more forgiving to eat after midnight, but carbs are not entirely a horribly option either. Carbs are the first molecules the body digests as its main source of energy which you can use early in the morning. 


These are definitely a few starter tips to avoid gaining those extra, stubborn pounds throughout your college career. Let's try to change the Freshman 15 to no more than Freshman 10! 


For delicious and healthy recipes that you can cook in your own apartment kitchen, or simply new methods of managing stress or any other college health quirks turn to these websites:


http://www.everydayhealth.com/college-health.aspx
http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2007/09/cheap-healthy-college-food-tips-for.html


They're definitely good sources; I've gone back to them every other week, and hopefully it proves to be just as useful to you as well.