I saw a sponsored ad on Facebook for a fitness marking company. (Why I get these, I will never understand. They only annoy me.) The company’s name implied that for exercise to be effective one should be constantly sore. Sadly, this is the message being shared by factions of the fitness industry. Many still abide by the “no pain, no gain” mentality.
Personally, I don’t take fault with the statement, “no pain, no gain”, when taken in proper context and understanding. “Pain” needs to be properly understood. When pain equals injury, this is obviously not good. We have pain receptors in the body to protect the body from harm. That being said, pain that is equated to discomfort is not necessarily bad—or harmful. Our perception of pain is both learned and set well below a threshold of safety. Thus, we have to find that effective, but safe, level of overload—of discomfort—for optimal effectiveness. That is, the minimal effective stimulus for growth.
Pleasant sense of fatigue. When I was my Master’s program at WVU, my exercise physiology professor, Dr. Rachel Yeater, used to describe a “pleasant sense of fatigue” with regards to exercise intensity. I think is a great way to describe the desired level of “pain” involved in exercise. This is somewhat exercise-specific. It is certainly individualized. Fitness level and the nature of the exercise will dictate the appropriate level of “pain”. Cardiorespiratory (i.e., aerobic) exercise intensity is regulated by the healthy, goal-specific percentage of maximal exercise (i.e., “symptom-free” maximum). Flexibility training will require stretching to a point of “discomfort” but not “pain”. Resistance training (weightlifting) is most associated with “no pain, no gain” and soreness. The thing to remember is that muscle growth is not in direct proportion to the damage inflicted as much as the extent to which the muscle is afforded recovery. It is not necessary to completely (and repeatedly) “destroy” the muscle to cause it to grow.
Delayed-onset muscle soreness. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the soreness experienced, usually 48-72 hours, post-exercise—particularly resistance exercise with a large eccentric (the lowering or lengthening phase of the muscle contraction) component, e.g., squatting and deadlifts. It is the result of microscopic tears in the muscle and the subsequent immune system response to fix the damage. The best treatment is to repeat the exercise that resulted in the damage. DOMS is not the same as the burning sensation (lactate) experienced during intensive exercise. It is also not the result of muscle or joint injury. Indeed, DOMS actually results in a “protective effect” (i.e., repeated bout effect) that can last for several weeks. Thus, occasional and moderate DOMS is desirable. It is important, though, that it doesn’t interfere with exercise motivation or the progression of exercise.
Exercise to the point of discomfort—safe discomfort. Let your threshold for discomfort grow. Overload the system effectively. Most importantly, allow the body adequate (don’t think this means “excessive”) time to recover.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!