This is about a myth that just won't die.I hear people talk about the sore muscles they have from a workout, days after, and they blame it on lactic acid. Sorry, but that's not what's causing the soreness. Lactic acid is a by-product of intense exercise, but it's cleared from your system very soon after exercise stops (returning to normal levels in 1 hour). Recent research shows that your body actually uses lactic acid as an energy source. When you feel a tingly sensation in your muscles WHILE you're working out - that's lactic acid at work.So if it's not lactic acid that causes your muscle to be sore for days, what is it?DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and it's caused by small micro-tears in your muscles. It leaves you with weak and tender muscles, and a shortened range of motion. It typically occurs 24-72 hours after exercise. The main cause is eccentric contraction (the lowering of a pull-up or deadlift), when the muscle lengthens while under a load.These micro-tears are actually a good thing. Your body tries to repair these areas, which leads to new and stronger muscle tissues.Want to speed up recovery? Get your blood flowing. Massage, hot baths, low-intensity work. Ice baths have mixed effects in different studies (try it though).So now you can stop telling your friends (or correct your friends when they tell you) that your muscles are sore from lactic acid. And now you know.2 rounds with a 2 min break between each roundAMRAP in 5 min10 Lateral Jumps10 Mountain Climbers10 LungesCompare to March 13/12.[caption id="attachment_9595" align="alignnone" width="200"]
Kevin doing his first ever sled pull, which probably caused some DOMS[/caption]
