Oh man, I am too sore to move!

Starting any type of fitness program or new gym routine or even a new season of your particular sport can be difficult in more ways than one.  The difficulty I am talking about today is the total incapacitating soreness we feel in every fiber of our body during every waking moment after a bout of intense exercise.  Muscle soreness is universal and never a laughing matter, to you.  It is often hilarious to others though.

I had a friend of mine jokingly suggest I mount a rope above my toilet to help alleviate the muscle screaming pain my mounting and un-mounting of the porcelain goddess caused me after an intense leg workout.  All joking aside, I really considered doing it.  I am currently in the process of completing the first 30 days of P90X, and for those of you not familiar with this program, it is the one you see on infomercials during the strange hours of the night.  If you want to learn more about this life changing program, check out HighOctaneHealth.com.

Anyways, there is a Legs and Back routine in P90X that lasts about an hour, but the after effects can last upwards of 4 days.  I remember the very first time I did the routine, I had to rearrange my entire week around the fact that I could not climb a single stair due to soreness.  True?  Yes.  Funny?  Only for those lucky enough to witness my suffering.

So why do we get sore and how do we combat this demon.  Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is believed to be the result of micro tears in the muscle tissue.  The contracting and stretching of the muscles during intense exercise causes damage to the muscle fiber leading to tightness and soreness.  This is a natural process and a requirement for our muscles to get stronger.  The micro tears signal a response within the body to repair and rebuild the muscle ultimately creating larger and stronger muscle fibers. 

NO PAIN, NO GAIN!

So what can we do to minimize the soreness and continue our routine?  I am so glad you asked because giving up on a new fitness program because your muscles are too sore to continue is like giving up on a new gasoline because it makes your car go faster.  The sorer you are, the stronger you will be, but lo and behold I have a solution.  Notice I say "a solution" and not "the solution."  I would never tell somebody that their solution is wrong just because I didn't suggest it. 

Remember people, the proof is in the pain, so do not get discouraged by it, be encouraged by it!

Now for a simple physiology lesson.  Our nutrition MUST compliment our exercise.  What I mean by that is what we eat should be geared toward how we move.  Not all calories are created equal, but for the most part, the simple equation of calories in vs. calories out is an integral part of our fitness success.

Now lets look at what to do after an intense workout.  Our livers have only enough Glycogen (blood sugar created from carbohydrates) to fuel our bodies for about 45 - 60 minutes of intense exercise.  There is also some glycogen stored within our muscles, but not enough to consistently keep us moving after our livers are depleted. 

Knowing this, our biggest concern IMMEDIATELY after working out is to find a way to replenish our Glycogen stores.  Simple sugars will do the trick which is why sports drinks are a very popular post workout drink. 

GOOD IS NICE, BUT BETTER IS ALWAYS BEST!

Research during the 90's found that a ratio of sugar to protein at 4:1 actually improved recovery by 25%.  The shameless plug is now ready for introduction.  Beachbody's P90X Results and Recovery Formula is specifically designed to maximize post workout recovery which minimizes soreness and allows you to stick with your workout program and even workout harder the next day.  

A serving of this amazing formula contains simple and complex carbohydrates for optimum energy recovery and helps reduce muscle soreness.  It contains a High Protein Efficiency Ratio blend of proteins providing the necessary building blocks for muscle repair and growth.  The P90X Results and Recovery Formula also contains High levels of vitamin C and E which are important antioxidants that also assist in muscle repair and reduce soreness.

Our goal in working out is to feel better about ourselves and to improve our health.  Soreness is an integral part of this, but it should never detour us from pursuing our dreams.

For more information on this amazing and very necessary supplement, go to HighOctaneHealth.com.   I have a bucket of this stuff shipped to my house every single month because I won't workout without it.  I encourage you to do a little research and then buy some. 

You will not be SORELY disappointed.  Pun intended.