Kickboxing and martial arts are strenuous activities for the newcomer and even the seasoned athlete. Those of you that have just started your quest for your black belt will find your body not used to the rigors of training. You could find yourself stiff and sore for a while until your body gets used to the foreign movements. Now, as you progress from belt to belt you will be introduced to new and exciting techniques. These techniques will stress your body in new ways. Knowing the difference between acceptable soreness and unacceptable soreness is important in preventing unnecessary discomfort and possible injury.
Types of muscle soreness
There are two general types of exercise related muscle soreness. The first is immediate soreness often felt while exercising or soon after exercise has stopped. I know from experience that by the time I get home, I can pin point the areas on my body that received the most work, as they are a little tender. By the next morning the actual soreness has subsided but the stiffness has set in. I perform some cardio first thing in the morning. Then a good stretch, so by the completion of my activities I have loosened up and feel ready to tackle the day with minimal soreness. The other type of soreness is delayed onset muscle soreness [DOMS], which may persist anywhere from 1 to 3 days after exercise.
Immediate soreness maybe the result of a build up of lactic acid in the muscle that leaks out of the muscle cells into the surrounding tissue, thereby stimulating sensitive nerve endings. Immediate soreness may also be the result of very minor muscle or connective tissue tears. None of the above is serious just a little uncomfortable.
DOMS is relatively unnoticed during exercise or activity but rears it's ugly head 1 to 3 days later. This may be due to small tears in connective tissue that hold individual fibers together as well as slight tearing of the cell membrane. If the cell membrane is torn, then an enzyme called creatine kinase [CK] leaks into the circulation causing irritation. This type of soreness can be very painful and cause a brief hiatus in your training schedule. All of you at some time will feel the effects, its just part of training and /or beginning some new technique.
How is DOMS mechanically caused?
Research has determined that it is predominately caused by the negative or eccentric movement which causes the lengthening of the muscle under tension. That specifically applies to your strengthening program. As far as your kickboxing goes, DOMS may be caused from the rapid deceleration and contraction at high speed of the muscle. An example of this is the delayed pain felt in the lat muscles after a heavy class involving lots of punching and blocking at a fast pace. There is no resistance in the form of weights but plenty of repetition and sharp deceleration and contraction. This theory postulated above regarding the effects of certain kickboxing activity comes from my own experience related to DOMS.
Limiting sorenessà..Immediate and DOMS
Limiting immediate soreness can be done by performing an adequate warm-up and stretching routine before and after your class or strengthening program. If you have just started kickboxing or a strengthening program, be sure to begin with light weights and progress gradually kickboxing activity.
For DOMS, again warm-up and stretch both before and after activity. Try to avoid all out ballistic movements and maximal lifting in your strength program. Fortunately DOMS is usually apparent at the start of your kickboxing or strength program or when there are significant changes in your existing program or, after a long lay off so it does not last very long.
Resuming training after a bout of DOMS
There are a number of opinions regarding what to do when resuming your training after a bout of DOMS. Some suggest that you should let the soreness abate before starting up again. Others suggest that the level of pain should dictate the degree of training. Try a Very light work out and if that still is too painful, wait another day or two. Finally, the last group suggests that training lightly soon after will speed recovery, even though pain is still present. The rationale behind this suggestion is that by resuming low key limited training you are increasing circulation to the damaged area, thereby boosting healing and the removal of toxins.
The name of the game here is to try to avoid the DOMS as it can be very painful and disruptive to your progress. Sometimes it is unavoidable, but if you use common sense and don't go crazy when you start your activity, you can definitely minimize the nasty effects. Don't listen to those who live by the adage " no pain, no gain ". That was the war cry of muscle heads that thought and maybe still think more is better. Training smart is the way to go nowadays. It's the intelligent trainer who has the edge on longevity and with fewer injuries. Kickboxing is tough enough already and we all want that black beltàà..I know I do! So train smart.
