“A common misconception is that soreness means a workout was effective,” said Cedric Bryant, an exercise physiologist and the president and chief executive of the American Council on Exercise. “While some soreness is normal, it is not a requirement for muscle growth.”When your muscles feel sore a day or two after exercise, it’s typically because […]
“A common misconception is that soreness means a workout was effective,” said Cedric Bryant, an exercise physiologist and the president and chief executive of the American Council on Exercise. “While some soreness is normal, it is not a requirement for muscle growth.”When your muscles feel sore a day or two after exercise, it’s typically because of microscopic tears in your muscle fibers that can lead to inflammation and pain, said Laura Richardson, an exercise physiologist at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology.As your muscles repair during the days afterward, the pain dissipates, she said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
What Sore Muscles Mean
There’s a pervasive belief among fitness enthusiasts that if you aren’t sore after a workout, you’re not getting into shape or working your muscles hard enough to build strength.
Q: If I’m not sore after I exercise, did it even count?Thank you for your patience while we verify access.“This does not mean the workout was ineffective,” Dr. Bryant said. It is usually a sign that their muscles have adapted to a regular training routine and have become “more efficient at handling the workload,” he said.
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But soreness is not equivalent to progress, fitness experts say. And constant soreness is not something to strive for.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Already a subscriber? Log in.
