What happens to the tissues in our bodies when we use them? 

How do they get stronger? Why do they get injured? 

How do they recover so we can exercise the next day? 

Why am I sore a day or two after tough exercise? Why do my legs burn when I’m  exercising? 

How can I recover better? 

I know… lots of questions jumbled together all at once, but it’s a pretty typical train-of-thought scenario I’d like to unravel.

TISSUE INJURY

I heard Dr. Paul Watson speak early on in my years as a physiotherapist. Something he said I have never forgotten was,  “Exercise is controlled injury.” 

When we use our bodies, especially when we use them to play at higher intensity, the tissues actually get what are called microtears, or little tears in them. This creates an inflammatory response. When you experience enough of these tears, you will experience  pain for a day or two after exercising (DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Contrary to what some believe, this is not Lactic Acid build-up in the muscles.

THE BURNING PAIN

Lactic acid builds in the muscles as a product of the anaerobic system (which is the system our body uses to create energy during short burst activities such as sprinting). Our bodies are able, when trained, to use this lactic acid as an energy source. It’s the build up of lactic acid that creates that fretted burning sensation.

WOLFE’S LAW

What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. Okay, this is not Wolfe’s Law, but it’s close. When we stress our tissues, our bodies respond by making the areas under stress stronger. This is why we exercise.  

BREAKDOWN

If you were to take a piece of plastic and bend/stress it back and forth in the same spot over and over, eventually it would weaken, then crack and finally snap. Unlike the plastic, when you stress your tissues, they have the ability to recover. 

However, this does take time. If you stress the tissue again before it’s fully recovered, it will gradually reach the point on the STRESS STRAIN CURVE that it snaps.

OVER-TRAINING

This is the biggest cause of injury that I tend to see in my practice. 

TOO MUCH, TOO SOON, TOO HARD, TOO FAST. 

We are all guilty of it. We don’t want to give up doing the activity we love. We want to run every day to help keep the weight off (or so we can eat whatever we like when we like). We tend not to listen to our bodies. 

But like a newborn child who’s hungry, if we don’t pay attention, it gets louder.   

RECOVERY

There is a lot of information out there on how to help your tissues recover so you can keep on track without injury. One of the best ways though is to rest the tissues as needed. The old gym routine where you work the upper body one day and the lower another, then perhaps do some core work the third makes sense. 

I love ice hockey. This involves a lot of work for my legs. I also was a runner and cyclist (also leg work). When I went to the gym then, I did not work my legs at all. No squats, lunges, stair running, jumping. Instead I stretched my legs and focused on my upper body and core. 

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Our cells are made up of proteins, carbohydrates, fat and water. So why would we not replenish these right away to help with healing? 

After a hockey game, I go for the protein right away (I use a whey protein powder in water). And, what I’ve discovered is my legs are better able to play four games in a weekend tournament when I do this. Last year I occasionally played back to back games (three hours of hockey). Having water with electrolytes on the bench and my protein drink afterwards helped in my recovery. Again there is a lot of information out there on what quantities to ingest for your body size and metabolism. It really is trying things out to know what works best for you. 

SLEEP

When we exercise, we’re stressing our system. The more we stress it, the more sleep we need. I read in a triathlon magazine professionals training for an Ironman will sleep upwards of 12 hours a day. How many people training for these big events are really able to get that kind of sleep while holding down a full-time job and having a family? When we sleep, our bodies process cortisol, the stress hormone that wreaks havoc on our bodies.

WORDS OF ADVICE

1. Listen to your body. If you’re experiencing more pain each time you exercise STOP. 

Your ego really doesn’t have your best interest in mind, despite what it may be telling you. 

2. Cross train. Who knows you might have fun trying something else.

3. Eat a well-balanced diet and drink adequate amounts of water.

4. Get a good nights sleep (watch how much stimulation you get before bed). Dr. Bill Code told me the quality of sleep during the hours before midnight is better than what you get afterwards (it has to do with the hormones released then). I’ve been trying to have my lights out by 10:30 p.m. (after reading for 30 minutes) and I find I’m better rested, even if I wake up at 4 a.m.

IF YOU’RE MOTIVATED:

More on the anaerobic system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCmNQQWlrc0

Dr. Bill Code’s website: http://www.drbillcode.com/ 

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