hey, i have been doing a different workout then usual and i have found my legs and back are very sore the day after and it lasts for a few days. I am just wondering if it is better to workout with the soreness or wait till it goes away. Any tips for preventing or getting it to go away?
Sounds like what you have is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. It is a result of micro tears and damage done to your muscle by working out. The tears allow fluid to enter your muscle cells and the pressure stimulates nerve endings, giving the illusion of pain. Ironically your muscles do not have the same pain sensors as your skin, but have pressure sensors which are telling you things hurt. It will reduce as your body gets used to your new workout, but will never completely go away. Thats a good thing, as its DOMS in part that stimulates muscle synthesis and helps you build muscle. It also means your workout is at a decent level. As for working out when you have DOMS... As long as it isn't too severe its not a problem. You will have a slightly reduce work capacity when you have doms, since you muscle is slightly damage, but there is no harm in working out. Unfortunately there is nothing to be done about doms. The only way to reduce it would be to not work out as hard, but wheres the fun in that? A light jog or run the day after your workout may speed up the healing process, as it increases blood flow which helps remove damaged bits of cell and increases flow of nutrients to the site. Massage, pain killers, deep heat, ice have not been shown to work.
Working out when you have DOMS is not recommeded, I would say. Basically if you still have DOMS you can presume that you still are not fully recovered. It isn't always accurate, however certainly I would say wait at least a day after DOMS have faded just to avoid overtraining. Means you can always train at your best too
I might be stating the obvious here, but make sure you get a good amount of protein in post-workout. Also try to get to bed early that night and get an extra hour or two in.
I love getting DOMS, I know I'm pushing it when I can't get up the stairs at home for a few days. It's more commonly an effect of heavy eccentric contractions, if your really looking for a way to avoid it.
